Dragontamers: Change Our Destiny
by Felicia Angel
Summary: Fourth in Series: The Battle City Tournament begins, and with it begins the changes that will affect everyone's future, mostly Jounouchi, Kaiba, Yugi, and the Other Yugi. Puzzle, Dragon and some other random shipping appears. Complete!
1. Ancient Magic and Modern Technology

Disclaimer: I still only own Laya and maybe one or two others here, but no one else.

Notes: Hey, I'm up to Battle City (mangaverse style!) now. Cool! Varon was a little OOC from the Orichalcos arc wasn't he? Meh, I figured that I could use some of that type shipping, or at least a hint of former whatever-they-are shipping. 'Sides, I can't have Kaiba doing anything else drastic for Jounouchi just yet…

Oh, and if you go on and see LittleKuriboh's "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series", realize a few of the jokes I borrowed slightly from there, mostly concerning Kaiba and Joey, and mostly in the latter part of the story.

Or go and see it because it's hilarious, one of the two!

Warnings: violence, language, hentai and implied pairings (puzzle, puppy, chase)

**Dragon Tamers: Change Our Destiny**

Part 1: Ancient Magic and Modern Technology

Jounouchi listened as Yugi explained things to her while Mazaki, true to her worrisome self, had gone to get everyone drinks and such. Bakura had not joined her, instead saying with the group, and Honda had stayed mainly because he liked to tease Jounouchi on the fact that she could never really beat Yugi. He had been lucky to get out of the fire with only a few burns if any, and Jounouchi had to admit that her shaking him had not helped out, but had helped her in some strange way.

"Hey," the old man who was in the bed near Yugi's said, getting Yugi's attention and then pointing out that the paper had someone who wore something that looked like his.

Both Bakura and Yugi moved and blinked when they saw it. Jounouchi peeked over the two and noticed a woman with exotic features and what appeared to be another Millennium Item. Yugi and Bakura both looked like something big was about to happen, especially at the mention of Egypt. This was going to ruin her day.

After Mazaki returned and heard the news slightly, she also got worried about things but Yugi and the others quickly tried to put her worries away, Bakura finally being the one to do it. The two left early for 'studying' and Honda left to 'meet a friend', which left Jounouchi with Yugi to discuss strategies until it was time for her to leave.

As she got out of the hospital, Jounouchi sighed with relief. She had heard from Varon that he had learned where she was from Layla, and that Layla might be coming back. She hoped that was right...she would love to introduce her to Yugi.

* * *

The Domino Museum was lit, despite the late hour of the night when the meeting had been called. Kaiba himself had no clue as to why this woman who was supposed to be from Egypt and hosting an exhibit on the Pharaohs would call him up.

He guessed for the money. She spoke to him after introducing herself as Isis Ishtar and lead him through the Museum, but finally he had to make himself clear.

He wasn't interested in digs or mummies. The past didn't help his company with their future advances.

She told him she understood, but this was more about Duel Monsters.

It originated in Egypt, and Pegasus recreated it after a trip to Egypt…

Kaiba tried to hide his surprise but failed at it.

"What I'm about to show you is a carving—a palette—from the mortuary temple of a pharaoh from the 18th dynasty. Perhaps this palette will trigger some inspiration for you, as it did for Mr. Pegasus…"

_What is she up to?_ Kaiba wondered as he walked into the darkened room. He couldn't even guess until she clicked on the lights and all hopes of hiding anything from this lady went out the window as he beheld the palette.

"Behold, the origins of Duel Monsters…"

This had to be a trick. There was little to no explanation to this…

_The cards coming to life in front of him, and then as his monster was destroyed the card disappearing as well…_

…no logical, technical explanation for this…

Isis Ishtar was explaining that, like many ancient cultures, the Egyptians believed that their problems came from evil spirits. These spirits were supposed to exist in people's hearts, and the Pharaoh's magicians tamed these beasts and put them in the stone slabs to bring peace to the kingdom.

"But within the tablets, the monsters became more powerful. A group of priests, acting against the Pharaoh, unleashed the power of the stone slabs and started a conflict that shattered the kingdom."

She moved to another one and said, "This palette illustrates the conflict, and is the one which I wanted to show you…"

Reluctantly, he moved away from the other one and blinked at what he saw. The two images…the two people fighting…one of them was Yugi! There was no denying that hairstyle.

"The young pharaoh wields the Magnus of Dark Illusions. The White Beast Handler is the one who confronts him."

_Th-The White Beast…could that be…the Blue Eyes White Dragon?_

"This can't be! What's Yugi doing on an ancient relic?"

Isis paused before answering that she didn't know who 'Yugi' was, and the relic depicted a battle between the Pharaoh and a Priest-Magician.

"Pharaoh?" Kaiba was having a harder time believing this, but some part of him did. The other Yugi…

_Stop it!_

It turned out this particular Pharaoh had lost his name. The cartouche had been defaced and his name never appeared on any of the king-lists of the temples either.

--_"Banish me," the person kneeling said, "If you do not, I will surly kill those who have taken away his name, and who wish to control him."—_

Kaiba willed himself back into reality. His dreams had been getting odder and odder, also involving such things as that one. What his answer and if this person had killed anyone before or what had happened to make this person want banishment never came to him either.

Kaiba had had enough of this, though. He didn't want to believe it, and if it was true…it would put Yugi into this. Through that, Jounouchi would be put into danger.

"Stop talking nonsense! A pharaoh? That's Yugi! He goes to my school, he's in class with me every day! There's no way he's a 3,000 year old pharaoh! Besides, how do I know you didn't just make this slab a few days ago? There's no proof it's 3,000 years old! Even carbon dating doesn't work perfectly on rocks!"

Isis said, "Do not let your heart waver, Seto. If you face this palette, it should speak to you in some way."

His whole body stiffened at that, and almost without him knowing it, his eyes were drawn to the one facing the Pharaoh on the palette.

"The young priest who fights the pharaoh…"

_No…_

"The beast he has summoned…"

…_I am…_

"Is it not like—"

"SHUT UP!" he yelled to her and the odd sensation and feeling that he was being overpowered, that something deep within him had awoke and now was forcing its way to the surface. "THERE'S NO WAY!"

His mind back in order, he started to turn. "My company is more interested in state-of-the-art technology, not in ancient fairy tales! You've wasted your time and mine."

Isis, seeming to not care about this, asked him if he was aware of the three Legendary Cards that Pegasus had left behind.

Kaiba turned back to the palette and saw, above the two, were three cards which he had never seen.

"Those depict the three Hidden Gods of Egypt around the Millennium Puzzle. Pegasus created three unique cards based off those carvings. They are, from right to left, Obelisk the Giant God Soldier; Osiris the Heaven Dragon; and Ra the Winged God Dragon.

The three God-Beasts are said to represent the polarities in the universe—Obelisk, Light and Dark; Osiris, Good and Evil; and Ra, Heaven and Earth. It is said that whoever acquires these three cards, the supreme and victorious one, the duelist of duelists, will reign over the world of cards and be given the title of Duel King."

Kaiba had been sold on the 'legendary cards' part, but the last part worked well for him too.

"Where are these cards? Who has them?"

"That, sadly, is a good question."

He looked back at her, surprised and she said, "You see, Pegasus repented for making them, saying they were the worse mistake of his life. It seemed they gained a power that once lay with their ancient counterparts, and also these powers could be used for good or evil. If used by an evil person, these cards could easily kill an opponent.

"Pegasus himself tried to destroy the cards, but couldn't do it, and finally hid them in various locations around the Valley of the Kings. These locations were _supposed_ to be hidden, but then someone stole them."

He looked at her and asked, "Who could've found them?"

"The Ghouls," Isis answered, "You've heard of them, haven't you, Seto?"

Kaiba growled as he answered that he had. Those scum were the lowest of the low, stealing rare cards, selling them on the black market, and even supposedly making copies of rare cards.

_In Islamic legends, ghouls are monsters which feast on the flesh of the dead and dig up corpses. Like their namesakes, they're rotten to the core…_

_And they have the Three Gods? I won't allow it!_

Duelist pride, as well as something more, had made him more then angry at the idea of them having even _one _of the Egyptian God cards.

Isis said that she had brought this exhibit to show the origins of Duel Monsters, and that she was sure that it would attract a large group of duelists.

Kaiba smiled. "I see. This town will turn into a battle royale for Duel Monsters, and the Ghouls will come sniffing for meat. They'll probably also be after my Blue Eyes…"

Isis stopped Kaiba as he started to leave, after deciding he would hold the tournament, to hand him a card.

Kaiba's prized case hit the floor with a loud 'thunk'.

In his hand was the Obelisk card.

"We were able to prevent this card from being stolen," Isis said, "and we have no doubt that you'll need it to retrieve the other two cards."

"So you trust me with this card? Are you sure that's wise? What if I get the cards," at this Kaiba smirked at them, "but refused to let them go?"

Isis' answer was straightforward and confident. "I _trust _you."

Kaiba chuckled and headed out with his new card. Now, to just create a deck and test out the power of the card…

* * *

Isis looked over at some of the darkness and said, "I don't recall asking you to be here."

"I don't recall saying I would listen to what you said," a new voice said, causing the shadows to part and reveal a young woman with dark hair and an Egyptian look, her clothing much like that which someone on the street would wear, making it easy for her to blend in. "But I digress. I am here for a reason, and that reason walked out, as well as the reason being this stone," she motioned to the large one which depicted the battle, "and the ones represented in it."

"I see," Isis said, then looked over. "How is Julia, by the way?"

"The same, I suppose. It's been a while since I've talked to her."

"And what is your assessment of Kaiba Seto?"

The woman was silent for a long while then said to Isis, "You'd best beware of the path you are driving them down. I'm going to have to stop it. I won't lose my sebah, my Pharaoh, or my other, the High Priest, again. Not after I've waited 3,000 years for them."


	2. Name

**Thanks to my first three reviewers. DAMN I didn't think that I got this popular for just changing Jou into a female *blush* I also didn't realize how very popular Yu-gi-oh Abridged was, but then again I shouldn't be surprised. THANKS, and yes, that is a Giant Rock. Now, let's stop talking like this, because I'm getting dizzy...**

Part 2: Name

--_and I won't tell no one your name--_

It was his last day in the hospital, the schedule being that he got out at noon and after that, he planned on heading to the school for a bit, mainly to get some of the homework, and then he had promised to hang out with Jounouchi. She had come over to apologize for shaking him and even introduced him to the friend that Honda had tried teasing her about once. Varon had been nice and even showed off his own Duel Deck, which had been beaten by Yugi's a little quicker then Jounouchi's Deck could be, but it had some interesting surprises.

Beside him was his other half, and he heard him say, _Thank you, aibou._

Yugi looked over at him then back out before saying quietly, "it was Jounouchi who saved us…"

Yugi tried unsuccessfully to hide his blush. He had saved his other self only by fixing the Puzzle, but had not gotten him out of there, so that left the spirit vulnerable anyway. Had Jounouchi not given up on them, both of them would've been dead.

_We have good friends,_ the spirit said, and Yugi had to agree, but he did note that there was something else in his voice, something…slightly off, at the mention of Jounouchi.

Yugi changed subjects, going instead to one which he had not brought up at all while recovering in the hospital, not to Jounouchi, or Bakura, or even his other side.

"Mou hitori no boku…the other Bakura, the one from the Millennium Ring, told me 'the one who solves the Milllennium Puzzle will have the duty of awakening the King's memories.'" He paused at this, wishing he hadn't brought it up but now unable to stop the next question. "are you…a king?"

There was a pause and finally the spirit answered. "I don't know. I don't remember anything about my past, beyond when I awoke after you completed the Puzzle. I don't even know my own name…I only know that I exist through _you, _when you wear the Puzzle…" he paused, then said, almost to himself, "in the valley of the kings there is a stone tablet where the millennium items can be placed…maybe if I go there…"

"That's enough!" Yugi said suddenly. Just that thought, those words made real…

_--He'll leave me…no, he can't leave me!--_

"Let's not talk about this anymore!" Yugi declared, turning to head away from the open area and simply go away, not from the hospital himself but from those words and the idea that he might even be left alone, end up without his other… "Come on, I'm leaving! So what if I'm early out! I'm sick of hospitals anyway! I'm going to go and meet up with Jounouchi—"

_Aibou, _the spirit said, causing him to stop, _I don't remember but…I don't care if I never remember. I would like to be with you forever…_

Yugi's whole body froze up, and before he could stop himself, remind himself of how old he was, he began to cry. The spirit didn't remember, could possibly remember, but…he would rather stay with him…he would—

"me…me too…forever…" Yugi took hold of the Puzzle, and said quietly, "you can have _my _memories…so that way…that way…"

_--That way, _Yugi thought, _you'll have memories, and that way, you'll never have to leave.--_

He was being selfish but didn't care. He wanted nothing more then to keep the spirit by his side, to always be with him, and to ensure that he was safe.

He heard a small chuckle and his other side said, _It seems our friends didn't want to wait either…_

Yugi turned and looked down to see Jounouchi, Ryuji, Honda, Varon, Anzu and Bakura walking up, Jounouchi, Varon and Honda in some sort of discussion while Ryuji looked up with a confident smirk and Anzu pointed him out while Bakura stayed by her side, giving him a smile from below.

_--Things are fine, just the way they are…_

_This way, nothing has to change._

_Nothing…--_

* * *

The data was being put into the computers, most of it gained from various sources and from what Kaiba knew of the Duelists themselves. He had personally put in Yugi's information, including the picture and the fact that he was at the highest level, with eight stars.

"Nii-sama, it's time for Jounouchi's data," Mokuba told him and he looked it over. Jounouchi's deck, or what he knew of it and what had been found out, was a mainly Warrior-based deck, using Beasts and Beast-Warriors as well as Warriors with few exceptions, one or two being the Time Wizard and Baby Dragon, and the last being her Red Eyes Black Dragon.

_There's only one or two of those in the world,_ he thought, _like my Blue Eyes, it's a rare Dragon, and those Ghouls will be trying to get their hands on it…_

The computer had put up that Jounouchi's card was the Red Eyes, but he needed to also put in her level, which was where the problem came in.

He didn't want her in this tournament. Her performance during their own duel in Duelist Kingdom had been pitiful, and the competition here was going to be far worse then at Pegasus' tournament. She had no sense of Duelist Pride from what he could gather, and fought like a cornered dog, not knowing when to back down and think and not realizing when she was beat.

_A scratch is only a scratch._

He typed in the number '2' for level and then started to move on to the next duelist. He was able to partly ignore the stare that Mokuba was giving him until he ran into Kujaku Mai's data, for which he put a '5'.

He would've liked to put in a '4', just to piss the lady off, but she _was _a top duelist and had made it far in Duelist Kingdom (having actually been invited), so…

"Yes?"

"You shouldn't have done that, Nii-sama. She won't like you at all for that."

Kaiba tried to seem unimpressed, then finally said, "I've seen her duel, Mokuba. This tournament is too high-caliber for her and I know it. If she enters in she'll only get hurt. Besides, she's always been better helping out the cheerleading squad instead of dueling. Trust me on this."

Mokuba didn't bring it up again.

* * *

Jounouchi stretched, grateful that Varon had moved out and given her back her room to be by herself and slightly curious as to what Yugi wanted her to get out of this pseudo-date-thing with the spirit. After a long day Yugi had, out of the blue, asked if she could spend the day with the spirit and to cheer him up. When Jounouchi had suggested giving the job to Anzu or someone else, Yugi had said he felt that Jounouchi would be better at it, and either way, he had asked Anzu and she was doing something with Bakura that day.

It wasn't that Jounouchi had a problem with the spirit currently. Far from it: the guy was a good friend to her and she was hoping to use today to apologize for all the times she poked fun at him. His constant wish to not tell Yugi his true feelings had her on an edge, but after the sudden reappearance of Varon…well, things were a little weird and she could understand how he didn't want to tell Yugi how he felt.

She looked at her watch and was glad that she wasn't late for once. She briefly wondered what Yugi really thought about the spirit. He had feelings for him, sure, but like most they were confused and mixed. With the spirit it was a straight-shot: he loved his aibou and wasn't going to let anything bad happen to him. With Yugi, it was different. He was possessive and protective of his other side, but at the same time extremely dependent on him as well. The right or wrong word could easily give the spirit exactly what he wanted, but on the other hand a wrong word could send Yugi over the edge too.

_Maybe he's too dependent on him, and that's why the spirit really doesn't want to tell him anything…_

She noticed some dark blue and black as well as hearing a rather indignant, "what the—wait a minute, aibou, what's going on! I mean—". In a black sleeveless top and dark blue pants was the spirit. He blinked at her, his stance showing that he had been yelling at the Puzzle where Yugi had retreated, and he gave a slightly embarrassed, "Yo."

Jounouchi blinked again and shook her head, riding it of evil thoughts rather quickly. "Hey to you too. What's with the getup?"

"I didn't pick it."

"Well, remind me to tell Yugi that he can pull off a sexy look anytime with those clothing, okay?"

"…"

"I was kidding. You hungry or thirsty?"

The spirit nodded and the two headed over to a coffee shop nearby to sit and consider the day. Jounouchi sat back and for a while there was silence between them before the spirit asked, "What happened with Varon?"

"He rode off," she told him, "Which is good, he was keeping the level of leftovers in the fridge to an all-time low."

Dead silence.

Jounouchi broke it. "I like the stuff. Yugi pick all of that or you have a hand in some of it?"

"He did. I don't know why he tried to dress up or why he was acting like he did. He's keeping something from me…again. He has this tendency to hide his true feelings."

"I've noticed. But normally, that's just cause he doesn't want to burden others. He probably doesn't want to bother you or cause you more worry."

Another pause and finally the spirit gave a smile. "I guess we're the same in that way…not knowing where to go."

"Where to go?"

"I don't know anything about myself, I told you this. So I have no idea of where to go."

Jounouchi leaned back on this for a moment then said, "Just because you don't know about _you _doesn't mean you have no clue." She leaned in, "I'm who I am because I chose this, and because sometimes I don't listen to my past experiences. The thing about you is that you _don't _remember your past experiences, so you think you have to be cautious when this just means you can throw caution into the wind a little easier then the rest of us. To you, everything's new and exciting, a different adventure, and you have every reason to go out and take that risk, because who knows what might be there that you like or don't like? We all have a limited time here, and we have to live it." She stood suddenly, "Hey, let's go around town!"

"What?"

"I've never been around town a lot…I mean, not with you, and I'm sure there are places we've both never been. Let's just go and get lost for a day, see what we can find."

He blinked at her but the force that was Jounouchi couldn't be stopped. She briefly wondered if she was somehow channeling some part of Anzu into this.

Still, their time out was fun. They found a store that sold Duel Monster cards and such, and the spirit looked the happiest he had all day when he bought a pack. Jounouchi, her money now limited due to her breakfast at the slightly-expensive (for her) café, couldn't get any new ones but looked at the ones the spirit had gotten as he said how cool it was and how much he liked his new card and he couldn't wait to tell Yugi about this.

They continued to walk and finally the spirit asked, "Do you like aibou?"

"As a friend. Anything more gets complicated and awkward in my mind, so I've given it up."

"So you thought about it?"

"Once," she confessed, "And like I said, it got awkward and complicated so I dropped it. Yugi's my friend but I've never seen him in _that _way, and I'm sure he hasn't seen me like that either. If he had a crush on Anzu he wouldn't, anyway, and if he even _thinks _about you, then my guess is that I don't have a chance and frankly, I'm relieved."

The spirit paused then asked, "What about Honda?"

"Childhood friend. We've been through too much and I'm not his type. Right now he's into the freakishly gawdy with green eyes and a die for an earring."

"Ah. And…Kaiba?"

"Danger: you do _NOT _want to enter this line of thought. Abort immediately."

"Forget I asked."

"Gladly."

They reached a small arcade, where they played a few games before heading out again and finally reaching a dock. The two stood there for a long moment, Jounouchi smiling. "That had to be the most fun I've had! Sheesh, after some of those things, I feel like I can do almost anything."

"Almost?"

"I know of a few things I probably couldn't do, even with the feeling of near ability to do anything," she said with a small laugh. He looked at her and then back out before he started to talk. She guessed this was what Yugi wanted him to do: talk, say what was on his mind.

"I…exist inside of the Millennium Puzzle, and, in some ways, inside of aibou…" He paused before saying, "on the other side of the world is a place where we can put the other six Items and the Puzzle. It's where they…and me…belong…I have been thinking that if I go there, I could find out more about myself, about who I am, and where I should go, or where I will go."

"What's stopping you?"

"…aibou…"

She looked at him sideways, waiting, listening as he finally said, "If I don't go…If I ignore it, and stay here, then things will remain as they are. I will be able to stay with my aibou, and he will be with me."

"Do you really think that?"

"Yes."

"You're an idiot."

He cast a look at her and she said, "Even if both you and Yugi wish for that, things will _never _stay the same. One day something will come up that will force a change upon you and Yugi, something that may even break up the bond between you. If you don't know the truth about your past, if you allow him to cling onto you forever, then things will change and neither of you will be prepared for it or able to handle it properly."

He looked back out again and said, almost in a whisper, "I don't want to lose him…and I don't want him to be sad when I leave…"

Jounouchi moved and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you so sure you'll leave? Does your heart really tell you that you'll have to go away if you confront these facts? Maybe you'll find a way to stay instead, or a way that your wish can come true."

He looked at her, confused, and she smiled before leaning in to whisper, "maybe you'll find a way to become real, and hold and protect Yugi the way you've wanted to."

He finally smiled at her and said, "There is somewhere I have to go."

The two headed off again, and stopped in front of the Museum. Jounouchi looked at him oddly and he said, "There was a clue to my past here, but I resisted coming here to see it."

"Glad to know I make a difference in your life," she told him with a smile before the two headed in to see what there was.

* * *

As they had left the museum after the revelation that the other Yugi was a Pharaoh from 3,000 years in the past, and that to find out the truth he might need all seven Millennium Items and the three Egyptian God cards, Jounouchi had seen someone she didn't expect to see, even less then Varon, and said, "Hey, Yugi, I'll catch up to you in a moment."

Layla gave her a slight smile and then a shrug. "I came to look at the exhibit. Are you here with anyone?"

"Not really. He kinda wandered off, I guess," she turned and noticed a rather large crowd had gathered nearby. "Wow. Is there something going on today or something?"

Layla looked at her and said, "What do you think?"

Jounouchi frowned then blinked. "Those are all duelists..."

"There's going to be a tournament soon," Layla said, "hosted by Kaiba Seto. But you guessed that," she looked over at where Kaiba stood out among the others, in his white trench coat and black turtleneck undershirt.

Jounouchi said nothing, her eyes locked on Kaiba and she finally said, "I need to go. I need to find my friend."

Layla nodded and said, "If you need any help, just give me a call, okay? Varon's crashing at my place too, by the way."

Jounouchi nodded, then finally gave her old friend a hug. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too. Now go and find your friend."

Jounouchi headed to find Mai and Yugi talking, but not a word of Layla came from her. It was her own secret to keep.


	3. A Mad World

Part 3: A Mad World

--_I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take, when peoples run in circles it's a very, very mad world—_

The next day at school, Yugi and Jounouchi had told the others what they found, Jounouchi expressing her anger at not being invited to the tournament when she had placed second in Duelist Kingdom. Her meeting with Layla had hadn't discussed with Yugi or his other self, and while she had been more then happy to see Mai there and to get to speak with her about her current adventures, even briefly, she was looking forward to fighting and maybe even fighting against Mai again. Mai quite possibly had a better deck built up and she wanted to test her own, newer deck against it as well.

After school, the group had headed over to the card shop that Yugi and Jounouchi had gone to in order to see if they could get Duel disks. It turned out Kaiba had a 'blacklist' of sorts for all the Duelists, and while Yugi was at the highest level, Jounouchi was near the bottom at level 2.

She would maim Kaiba, and she made that sentiment very well-stated and with few curse words, she was proud to say.

Then, quite suddenly (probably to shut her up), the man said there had been an error and she was actually in the tournament before he gave her a duel disk. She was happy about it and offered to speak to Yugi about her new deck and some strategies to go with it.

The two stayed up late, dueling and speaking about strategies. While Jounouchi had kept most of her monsters in and added in only a few new ones, more of her spell and trap cards were based on luck and chance. While Yugi said that this would be a hard deck to run, she was confident in it.

"My family's luck is sometimes bad, but so far I've been beating it and getting all the good luck. This is a reflection of that, and besides, with this type of deck, I have to believe in it, and in myself. This'll give me the confidence I need."

Noticing the time, she had said her goodbyes and good lucks for the next day, then headed home.

That's when she ran into the Rare Hunters.

* * *

The bastards had taken her Red Eyes.

They would pay dearly for that, no doubt, but first she had to find the lowly scum who had cheated, pulled out Exodia, and then forced her to give up her cards.

Second: She would have to be on time for once.

Cursing herself for sleeping in after the alarm, Jounouchi armed herself with her deck, replacing her favorite card to make it more gamble then warrior, and began her search. She wasn't looking for Mai, Yugi, or anyone else.

She was looking for the bastards that made her lose the day before the duels.

Luckily, the snake-eyed man was easy to spot among the crowd of duelists, so she didn't hear Kaiba's explanation of the rules, nor did she care.

She was going to maim the bastard and get back her card, rules or not!

Then, up came the only person who could stop her from doing such rash things, and the other Yugi meant business when he decided to take on a man with an Exodia deck.

Jounouchi herself had no chance to protest, only the ability to watch and wait until the duel was over so she could thank Yugi, and realize one thing.

She needed pride as well. She needed to finally defeat Yugi, or else she would be leaning on her Red Eyes forever.

That said after the duel and the 'meeting' with the man named Marik who controlled his followers, Jounouchi set off to find her next opponent.

Such a boy was found in Esper Roba, the ESP duelist. He had just defeated Ryuzaki easily and Jounouchi was up for the challenge.

After all, how much could ESP do against luck itself?

* * *

"So, you have identified the owner of Obelisk?"

"Yes, Lord Marik. They were in Domino City, North Block 'C'. The owner is Kaiba Seto."

Marik chuckled at the name. "I should've known."

"Sir?" one of the men said, obviously confused, "I don't understand how he could've gotten one of the God cards."

Marik bothered only to answer part of that question. "I can imagine that he hosted this tournament after he got his hands on the God card. His whole purpose is to unite the Gods…"

_Sister…you had the last card…and you gave it to him. What possible future did you see that would allow you to let go of that card? Does it have to do with the Pharaoh? It doesn't matter…those cards _will _come together, but in my hands, and along with them, the title of King!_

One of the other Rare Hunters mentioned that Kaiba was still in the same block, and asked if he wanted them to send some of the Rare Hunters after him.

"No. Kaiba Seto is an extraordinary duelist, and now with the God card the Rare Hunters will have hard time. To fight a god…you need a god."

"You're not thinking--!"

Marik smiled then said, "I, who wield the Sun God Ra, will go personally to Domino City."

* * *

It seemed as if all around the area of Domino which Yugi wandered, there was no duelist, let alone a Ghoul. Truthfully, the spirit wanted nothing more then to find a Ghoul and crush them as he did the one who had stolen Jounouchi's Red Eyes, and if he continued he might get his chance. As well, he wanted to get into the tournament to face Kaiba fair and square, to see how much he had progressed between the last time they had dueled.

Kaiba was the best duelist for him, it seemed. Their duels always made his heart race and his mind move fast. While Jounouchi was getting better and even causing him some worry, it was often against aibou that she Dueled.

In this tournament, she said she would face _him_, and only after that would she accept her Red Eyes back.

As if the thought of Jounouchi had caused him some pride that she was getting to be such a good Duelist, it caused his aibou to appear and voice his worry about how she might be doing.

* * *

"I don't care if you have ESPN, I'm not backing down!"

"It's _ESP!_ Get it right!"

Jounouchi blinked after she pulled her card. "Why? I'm not the one claiming to have it."

* * *

"Aibou, this is Jounouchi's strength."

"Her strength…oh, I get it! We're giving her something to fight for!"

The spirit nodded and aibou smiled. "Then she will survive Battle City, I know it!"

"And when she challenges me, I'll gladly accept it. Jounouchi Katsuya…the Duelist."

Aibou smiled at that. "No matter who wins, it'll be a good battle…a good memory…" he stopped suddenly and looked away. "I'm sorry. I forgot…you don't have any memories from before you met me."

The spirit was only partly listening to him, realizing something and looking at the Red Eyes, as if it would give him the clue to what was bugging him.

He gasped when he realized it. "Why did they go after Jounouchi's Red Eyes? She was attacked the night before the tournament, and with a Duel Disk…so they knew she was a participant. But how…?"

Aibou was the one who had the answer. "The card shop!"

* * *

Jounouchi had to admit, this was a touch battle. No matter what happened, though, no matter what that Esper Roba said, she wasn't going to give up.

And she told him that, told him the reason behind it.

"Because I'm a Duelist."

She looked at her card and smirked at him before she played it.

Her Magic Card, her one big gamble, the Roulette Spider.

She hadn't expected it to work so well, but it did, and after using her Baby Dragon to finish him off, she was surprised to hear him yell at everyone, saying that they shouldn't look down on him.

_Men are idiots, _she had long ago decided, and she pointed out the fact that no one was looking down on him, and either way she had sweated most of the Duel against him, but it was a good one. He shouldn't be so upset about losing one Duel. Everyone lost.

He didn't get it.

Jounouchi sighed. This was going to take a moment, she knew it, but she nearly panicked when voices came from out of the guy's wrist.

That would explain his ESP and the faulty prediction about her Graceful and Devil Dice…

It turned out these were his brothers, and they were obviously more then ready to give him all their support.

Jounouchi wiped a tear from her eye. Damn girly hormones and emotions…but how could she hate this guy? Hell, he was a great duelist, and she would be honored to duel him again…without the tricks.

He handed over the Jinzo card as well as his locator card, and promised they would duel again.

She smiled at him and said, "Roba, I have a lot of friends in this town, and you have your brothers. No matter what, as long as you're not alone, you're strong!"

He smiled at her, and she waved goodbye to him.

* * *

Roba sighed as he watched the lovely woman walk away. There had been rumors that Kujaku Mai was one of the loveliest Duelist there was, and one of the harshest. The other was that Jounouchi Katsuya, the girl who tagged after Mutou Yugi, was also in the Duel and was lovely but also tough.

Roba wanted to find Mai and battle her next. Not to see if he could beat her, but to see who he found lovelier…


	4. Souls and Unity

**_Author's Very Appropriate Squee of Happiness: I would like to send over my cyber-glomp to _JuniperPunch_, who has sent me some very nice fanart of Jou-girl which I love and will turn into LJ icons if I can because they are very nice. And at one point, I promise I WILL stop squeeing like a strange fangirl...and no, I'm not as weird as the fanboy who stole Jou-AbridgedSeries Duel Disk, I swear, though I'd love to be able to snap people's necks with my mind as well. How is it such a clueless bastard like Tristan can get it but I can't? WHY? *sniff*_**

Part 4: Souls

There are certain things which go unnoticed to some but not all Duelists, and that is the soul of their cards. While many will wish for a card or perhaps want it 'just because', others can go to great lengths for one particular card, and when they have it, no matter what Deck they create, it will be a part of it.

A few such cards existed in the world which helped to define specific Duelists. Kujaku Mai had her 'Harpy Lady', and while others might see it as weak, she always found a way to make her better, to cause another to fall before her deck that held her Harpies. She even forfeit to Mutou Yugi for the simple fact that she wasn't about to see her Harpy Ladies be hurt.

In contrast, Jounouchi Katsuya had one or two cards which fell into her Deck, such as Time Wizard and Baby Dragon, as well as Flame Swordsman and Red Eyes Black Dragon. While the Red Eyes was one of her strongest, she was defined by the strong warriors within her deck who, some with low attack points, still pulled through in the end.

Kaiba Seto and Mutou Yugi had specific cards which always went into their deck and for which they were known. For Kaiba, it became his symbol: the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He was the only one in the world to own all three, as well as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon combo.

For Yugi, it was the Dark Magician. His deck was varied enough that no Field could provide for each of his cards, but despite this, his most prized card was the Dark Magician.

So it hurt Yugi to know that out there was a man who called himself the Master of Magicians and yet he couldn't hear the cries of his own monsters, didn't seem to understand or care if he hurt the cards.

And as the end came near, Yugi nearly closed his eyes when a blinding light hit them. He and Pandora watched in amazement as his own Dark Magician, trapped and unable to move, suddenly turned into Ectoplasm and got between Yugi and the blast.

_My Dark Magician…_

Pandora seemed amazed, maybe even unsure as to how that happened. Yugi knew completely, though.

His faith in his Dark Magician had given rise to something else…or maybe it was more. But the Dark Magician, no matter what, always appeared before him.

With that thought, with the thought of avenging Pandora's own abused Dark Magician, Yugi set about on his counter-attack to defeat the insane Ghoul.

* * *

Anzu was pissed, and while Ryou knew this was a side to his girlfriend he didn't like to see, it still bugged him. She had suggested, out of the blue, that they go and watch Yugi and Jounouchi duel during Battle City. The only person to arrive on time was Yugi's grandfather: Ryou had stayed up late writing the new campaign for his table-top RPG, and strangely enough the voice of the Ring had added in his own voice on what type of enemy should be at the end.

This confused Ryou to no end. He only sometimes heard from the voice that echoed from the Ring, and those times had scared him. The first time he had through he was going insane, but after everything he realized what it was. Yugi and his friends had given him the courage to not be afraid, but the voice had a nasty habit of shoving Ryou into his Soul Room without Ryou's consent, and also ignoring his pleas to let him out or tell him what was going on. Thankfully, the voice hadn't come out while Anzu was over or they were…otherwise occupied…but he did comment on it afterward. Ryou found himself taking off the Ring just for some peace, but it always somehow found its way back onto his neck and hidden from view. He, and the voice, seemed to not want the others to know he wore it on occasion, and Ryou would've been happier if the Ring simply stayed off.

If Ryou had to guess, he would say the voice was nice to him on occasions simply because he wanted to throw him off balance.

"And Honda had to go off on some 'important mission'..." Anzu fumed.

Ryou quickly assured her that Yugi would do well, as he was a good duelist anyway.

Anzu seemed to gain more energy as she convinced them to go back and look for them, though Mutou-san was not getting most of the energy.

It proved hard to find Yugi, the whole of the city, or at least the park they were in, being overrun by duelists. One crowd was drawn to a mime who had been in the same position for at least two days. Ryou, slightly interested, walked up and waved his hand in front of the mime's face, then shouted "BOO!" with a mild "excuse me" afterwards.

The voice snorted briefly, but that wasn't what concerned Ryou. The man had no life coming from him.

_He's a doll..._

"Come on!" Anzu yelled, "He's not a duelist, let's go."

"Right..."

Ryou now felt worried, though. There was something else going on...

* * *

Jounouchi ran after the brat who stole her Duel disk, intent on making him pay for not only stealing it, but for interrupting her lunch.

She had even gotten extra pickles, and he RUINED IT!

"Gotcha, punk," she said as she grabbed the guy, and from behind her came Mutou-san, Anzu and Ryou. They had been looking for either her or Yugi, and now with her they listened to the kid's sob story about having lost his Duel disk and cards after losing a duel. He had wanted to find the guy and defeat him with Jounouchi's card, but Jounouchi knew that wouldn't work.

_There's one in every tournament_, she guessed, remember Mokuba and his determination during Duelist Kingdom.

She told the boy she would beat the guy, and he said he'd hurry and find him before dashing off.

A part of Jounouchi told her she should check her Deck, that something might be off, but another part told her she had to trust at least someone.

_It doesn't really matter, does it? I've seen Yugi face off against impossible odds, and mine have to be those that try to take my trust of people. I trusted Roba, and he was cheating. I'll trust this kid, even if he's cheating too._

She explained it to them, saying she needed to carve her own future so she could show her sister.

"How is your sister, anyway?" Anzu asked, "Has she recovered from her surgery? How's she doing?"

Jounouchi felt something inside of her involuntarily tighten.

"_You're no sister to her! Someone else won that money you used to pay for her operation! No, you can't see her!"_

"_She's my sister! You've kept us apart too long, Mom, and what have you been doing to help her, anyway?"_

_SLAP. "Shut up!"_

"She still can't see..."

"WHAT?" Anzu yelled, "But the operation—"

"It worked, yeah, but she doesn't have the courage to take the bandages off. She's too worried she won't see anything...

"So...I'm going to win this, and go visit her, to show her the face of someone who's made a future for themselves."

_And to give her courage, courage to go forward, no matter what obstacle._

_I'll prove them all wrong. Jounouchi Katsuya can be something, can be someone...and will do so to show her sister just that._

_Wait for me...Yugi, Kaiba...everyone who is up there, just wait! I'll show you all what I can do!_

Part 5: Unity

Jounouchi hated Haga with a passion. The bug-freak had conned that boy into putting a card in her deck that wasn't supposed to be there, which meant he had cheated. This was the same freak who had tossed the Exodia cards into the sea so he wouldn't have to face them, the coward, and now he was using underhanded methods to try and win.

Which she wasn't going to stand, considering that she was now in a pinch. His deck had made it that she couldn't sacrifice to summon her more powerful Jinzo, and then he put up a trap, Insect Barrier, stopping her from attacking with the insect-infected warriors.

Her eyes closed for a second, and Mazaki yelled at her. Sheesh, that girl seemed to get the wrong idea. Her eyes had closed for that moment as she thought, and remembered.

_I can't give up, because I'm here to help Shizuka again._

"I was just thinking!" she yelled back to Mazaki, then went back to the duel.

She could win. There was no way she was going to lose to this guy. She would win, somehow.

* * *

Mutou Sugoroku was surprised at how much Jounouchi had grown as a Duelist. Not long ago, she seemed hopeless, but in the end she was also gaining rank quickly, moving her way up and towards the same level as Yugi.

A movement caught his eye and he looked over to where a spectator was nearby smiling. The woman had dark hair that fell down her back and a kind smile on her face, brightening her features. Her face showed she could be easily mistaken for Jounouchi's age or Mai's age, and her eyes caught hold of Sugoroku's for a brief second.

Golden eyes met purple, and Mutou held down a gasp. That couldn't be!

"Did you see that?" Jounouchi exclaimed as she came up to celebrate with the others, causing Sugoroku's eyes to leave the woman for a brief second. When he looked back, she was gone.

_But that couldn't be her. That was nearly forty years ago!_

_There's no way she didn't age!_

The woman who told him where to find the Millennium Puzzle...in one way, it made sense that she would be here, but in another, it didn't.

What was really going on here?

* * *

Layla paused as she looked at the man who had the aura of one possessed. The power of the Millennium Rod, one which Seto never chose to use due to feeling it was not something a priest would do simply to bring order, but instead to cause chaos.

_Then her curse came true,_ she thought, _only one who was a Tombkeeper would wield the Millennium Rod, and only one who had betrayed their family would use it as such. But there is something else. Was the text once more misinterpreted and causing innocent lives to be changed when they shouldn't be?_

At times like this, she wished that she had kept, or had someone keep, a closer eye on Saim and his new family.

In her small portable music player, the group Evanescence played, the haunting melody causing her to remember when she felt it and her head jerked up.

_Osiris—Osiris the Heaven God Dragon—_

The one that she had run with as she chased after her sebah so long ago, following the thief who had attacked Akunadin, who had killed Mahaado.

The Heaven Dragon had been awoken as well?

She looked away, then back to where Jounouchi and her friends were. They were in danger, and the white-haired boy bore too much of a resemblance to the damned thief that she could ignore it easily.

Besides that, she could feel the power of the Millennium Ring on him.

She followed, her senses also towards Osiris before she felt it fall. A small amount of worry went through her before she suddenly felt as if the God was rejoicing to be returned to its master.

_Then they were facing—_

_If that's true..._

The aura grew stronger, and she knew it. Zalika's curse was coming true, and her sebah had returned to this world, had gotten the God Card Osiris, and was on one road to find his memory.

_I will give you the choice, though. I won't push you down a road where those here will lose you. I won't allow who you've become to leave with who you were. _

_Even if I must wander that side for a million years, I will allow who you were to reach the other side._

_

* * *

  
_

Jounouchi found her way to the aquarium after a quick, if disturbing, talk to Bakura about the fact that her two cards were kinda disgusting, and that he loved disgusting cards, having made an occult-themed deck with grotesque monsters in it.

_Weirdo._

But that didn't matter to her for a while. The fact was that she had to face off against another Duelist and win, then she would be in the finals. After that, or during that, she would face Yugi in a Duel, and with that, she would be a new, a different Duelist.

_I can do this. I can reach Yugi, and Kaiba, and everyone else. Just wait for me._

_

* * *

  
_

The battle was a hard one, for both teams...in a sense.

Yugi and Kaiba, mainly due to the Obelisk God, all but annihilated those who got in their way of finding Jounouchi. Jounouchi, at the aquarium, had just gotten out of a pinch and was now yelling at Ryouta for thinking she wasn't capable to understanding why he brought back the "Legendary Fisherman" card.

_Men are COMPLETE idiots._

Of course, of the three she had fought, Ryouta and Roba were the ones who seemed to cement this fact. Roba had thought that too many people would look down on him, and Ryouta got angry at her for disrespecting the sea when she hadn't really, or at least hadn't intended to, then thought she wouldn't understand about his love of that particular card.

Still, with her six cards, as well as two new rare cards, she had exited with Mazaki and Mutou-san only to find a strange man with tanned skin carrying a badly-wounded Ryou.

_You can't take your eyes off that boy for five seconds..._

Mazaki quickly raced up, worried about her boyfriend, while the guy told them he had found him like this.

"Fuck...Bakura, look at me. Focus, you lost a lot of blood, okay? Do you know who did this to you or what happened?"

"Jou—Jounouchi...no...I woke up...I don't remember anything."

Mentally cursing, she checked the wound while the helpful man said he'd call an ambulance and then she heard some punks come up, saying that Bakura had stolen their Duel Disk.

Warning signs up, her attitude changed when the helpful guy tried to stand up to them and protect Bakura, but ended up being hit to the ground.

"Okay, that's fucking it. You two make sure Bakura's fine, I need to have a 'talk' with those two."

The 'talk' took a little too long, and she hurried back as Mutou-san said he would take Bakura to the hospital using a cab.

Now attention was turned to the newcomer. He was a cute man with tanned skin, golden bangles around his arms, a lavender sleeveless shirt that matched his eyes, and pale gold hair. He also had earrings of an odd design, and seemed to have a pleasant voice as he introduced himself as Namu.

"You two seem nice," he told them, "I hope we can become good friends."

* * *

Kaiba hated to admit that he was in this because he wanted to make sure Jounouchi was okay. Still, it was easy for him to consider the fact that Jounouchi was going to be easy pickings for the Ghouls if she ran into them. As it was, though, she wasn't even supposed to be in this tournament. How the hell she got in was beyond him, but he intended on putting her into the cheering section the moment he ran into her.

Which he was more then happy to tell the angry and worried Yugi as they walked and he waited for word from Mokuba on the whereabouts of the lost dog, and he knew the reaction would be Yugi defending Jounouchi with all his might.

One of the many things he hated about those two. They could compliment each other. He couldn't compliment Jounouchi.

Not the way some part of him wanted to...

So he insulted Jounouchi, insulted Yugi, and threatened to kick her out of the tournament as they continued. His thoughts on the matter didn't exactly let him notice the Ghoul until it was too late.

They knew how to get to them, he gave them that much credit. The bastard had put something that wouldn't allow him to get to his Duel Deck...

"You'd best laugh while you can," Kaiba growled, "nobody touches my Deck and lives!"

The short Ghoul laughed at him anyway, pointing to where the key was and then telling Yugi he had to come as well or else Jounouchi would be eliminated.

Both Duelists now ready to annihilate the two, Kaiba glared as the short Ghoul jumped up to the top.

"We have no choice!"

"Yes!"

Anger ruled them both, and both were to the top of the skyscraper in what felt like record time.

Of course, the top just had to be the thirteenth floor...

* * *

There was a small beep and Layla picked up her cell, checking the ID before answering, "What's wrong, Julia?"

"Oh, the two guys you sent me to watch have just gotten into a Duel, a tag team one."

"They've been getting into tag team duels."

"This one is different. This one involved something called a Duelist Chastity Belt, a threat to Jounouchi, and four large window panels that is their only barrier between the arena and sudden dropping from the thirteenth story."

A pause on the other line before Julia said, "Remind me again that this kind of thing never happened before."

"It didn't."

"Not at all?"

"There was a group who wanted revenge for their Spider Queen, another who wanted revenge for their leader who had somehow lived through the Crusades while being cut into five pieces, and a few other vindictive groups, men, or women. None of them used Duel Monsters, chastity belts, or glass panes up thirteen stories."

"Just had to make sure I was original," Julia said, "it looks like the Duel's started off okay for the two."

"Which two?"

"...Well, your two _have _to win, right? I mean, it's like a law."

"Julia..."

"What?"

"From my point, I have just seen someone pull a fast one on one of my best friends, and put her and her friend under mind control. Currently I'm making myself scarce while he seems to plot something rather evil for my sebah."

"...Well, a Mask of Restrict just appeared on the field, Kaiba looks pissed, and Yugi seems phased but not too much."

"..."

"My point exactly."

"Keep an eye on them, and have those two cards for Jounouchi ready."

"You have a feeling about something?"

"I know my sebah. Even after three thousand years, he won't change when it comes to his friends. He and Kaiba will show off their strength and defeat the Ghouls, then come to save Jounouchi however they can."

"What about the other Yugi?"

"...Other Yugi?"

She could almost hear Julia roll her eyes. "There are two Yugi's, a normal one, and one who cannot be beaten my mortal means. I'm guessing the later is your sebah, and if that's true, then he'll probably try to save Jounouchi, but the other one is going to interfere. Jounouchi is his friend too, and he might have something to prove."

"So you think we should be very careful with this?"

"I think you should wait until after the Three Gods are in your sebah's hands before moving. Jounouchi doesn't have a good idea of what we're doing, and if we bring her in she'll probably rebel only if it hurts either Yugi too much. Other then that, she might go along with it to help the two Yugis."

Layla sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm a Fogg."

"Don't start with me."

"Fine. I'll call you when they win, just tell me where they're headed and I'll meet you there. Ja ne."

"Yeah." Layla hung up and sighed, looking back to the new one who had replaced Saim. He had a good deal of his features, but it was obvious that he was related to the young man she had met over a century ago. Still, his eyes carried the same vindictive look that Zalika's had when she had seen her briefly.

_History repeats itself too often, and too soon. Saim, I'm so sorry that this curse would come about. I just hope the one you put about will balance it out._

_

* * *

  
_

Julia lowered her binoculars as Valkyrion the Magma Warrior appeared to fuck with the Ghouls' day. She did know enough to know that the beast they had summoned has a special ability that allowed it's owner to take control of the monster that destroyed it, but she also had to guess that both Kaiba and Yugi had thought of that...

Or were in the process of that.

Bjork's song "Bachelorette" played in her MP3 player, and she raised her binoculars again to watch the two Duelists talking. There was a long pause, where Kaiba looked from Yugi then to his cards, then back, and suddenly he went from being a little pissed his best card was gone to understanding of the situation.

His face was calm as he spoke, and Yugi gave him a smile before turning serious as his monster attacked...and then went over to the other side.

They actually looked surprised at this, when she could tell from the weird glances they gave to each other they were ready for this, or waiting for it, or something. Hell, they had a whole plan based around the fact that they knew each other's Decks well enough.

_Who put these two up to this? Did they know they have not a chance in Hell of winning against these two? Or one of them? Sheesh, the _only _ones who defeat these guys are each other._

She watched as they tried to attack Yugi, had him defuse the monster, then have Kaiba summon the massive Obelisk.

Julia put her binoculars down for that and wondered if Marik thought any of his plans had a chance.

She waited until Obelisk disappeared, signaling the end of the Duel, and saw one of her radios that was patched into the KaibaCorp frequency show that Mokuba Kaiba was heading their way to take them to where Jounouchi's signal was coming from.

Julia opened her cell and hit the speed-dial number, connecting her to Layla.

"Your boys just won, and a rather nice one, too. But I think Marik appeared to tell them some disturbing news, and Kaiba's not being nice at all."

"...he'll do that," Layla told her, "He tends to do that when he has information, even when I knew him."

"You don't know him now."

"I can feel something, though. Seto is within him, as much as he hates to admit it, or won't admit it. The memories are there, coming to the top as the Egyptian Gods appear."

Julia frowned as she saw the helicopter approach. "Would that be a bad thing? Kaiba Seto and Seto the High Priest are two different people. Why should Seto take over Kaiba?"

"He won't. He lived his life, his soul is on the other side. Kaiba Seto has some of the memories, some of the abilities, but not much else. He was not an imprisoned spirit like my sebah."

"And he's currently pissing your sebah off."

"Nothing ever changes."

"What do you want me to do?"

"...The finals are going to be in the Domino Stadium, or at least that's where they'll be near. Find a woman named Kujaku Mai, or even go find Honda. He went to get Shizuka so she could see her brother Duel. Follow them or help them out, and run into Jounouchi so you can give her the cards."

"You want me to follow her onboard as well? I have to admit, this is getting kinda interesting, even for me. Besides, then I can tell you if something goes wrong, or even use something to help out. I'm not totally useless, you know."

"Of course not. You're a Fogg."

"...the way you say that..."

She could almost here the Cheshire Cat grin from the other side. "I'll see you later, Julia."

Julia hit the 'End' button and sighed as the copter left before she headed down from her point and off to find Honda and Kujaku Mai. She at least knew the girl, having met her once or twi—

"WATCH WHERE YO—Julia?"

"Damn, my luck's good! I was just looking for you. Can we hang out right now?"

"I got a Duel to get to."

"After that," Julia said, jumping into the convertible, "Layla needs our help."

"That bad, huh?"

"Could get that way."

* * *

_--I will do what I can to protect my friends and those I care about.--_

Kaiba frowned as he and the others got out to see Jounouchi there, her Duel disk out and her eyes shaded.

_--What happens if those you are trying to protect turn against you?--_

"Jounouchi, are you okay?"

_--What happens when the only thing you can do to move forward is to defeat them in a life-or-death situation?—_

"I've been waiting for you, Yugi!"

"Nii-sama, what's wrong? Why is Jounouchi acting like that?"

Kaiba knew that the only way for Yugi to win this battle was to simply give up on friendship and unity, to forge ahead and forget Jounouchi.

But that was hard for Kaiba to do, even after leaving school. He always left by limo, but somehow he always saw Jounouchi heading out with Yugi and the others.

Jounouchi was ignoring Yugi, and Anzu appearing, saying she had a deadly capsule in her hand and would 'make the girl' swallow it if Yugi didn't cooperate.

Then Kaiba saw the arena, heard the rules.

This is not the price he was willing to pay to see the 'answer' to his question. Not the life of either of them in such a sick Duel.

"Hold on..."

* * *

Layla held back her anger and hate as she watched. Where the hell was Julia and the backup? They had to stop this Duel, now! Her sebah had been crushed just from hearing Seto go against him the first time, but now this? Jounouchi was like a sister to him, and to face her in such a duel?

On top of that, the Ghouls had grabbed Mokuba and were holding him at knife-point to ensure that Kaiba didn't try to stop the Duel. He was caught between watching over his brother and trying to stop the Duel.

Layla didn't want to watch. She wanted to find Marik and destroy him, utterly, mentally, and then go into the after life and tear apart his soul for each of the thousand years he claimed her sebah owed him for...

_Thousand years..._

Layla started. Saim had told her that they had, at first, been living in a village near the Valley of the Kings, but then, about a thousand years before she met him, they moved underground to protect the tomb.

And obviously they had stayed there...they had stayed, and created such a person as Marik.

The Millennium Puzzle flared the life, and then in an instant, her sebah was replaced by the other Yugi, the one who had freed him from his prison.

Layla blinked as she took him in amid Jounouchi-Marik's yells to bring back the other Yugi to fight. He looked like her sebah when he was young, before his hair gained the extra golden lightning in it. His eyes were wide and a cool lavender color, making him appear innocent and much more the child then her sebah. He was shorter then her sebah, it was obvious.

But they looked too much alike that it still pained her. This boy, the one who spoke in a quiet tone, who had freed her sebah...

The moment she saw him, she knew she had to protect him, her other sebah.

* * *

_Red Eyes, take the Red Eyes..._

Something snapped. Something that wasn't the odd voice in her head, or the one telling her attacking Yugi was a good thing. The one that was a deep, dark hole, the one where she held those who were dear to her, those promises that were important to her, woke up and told her if she took the Red Eyes, she would lose something too important to lose.

_Fuck this!_

The other voice in her head was off, as if not understanding why she didn't want the Red Eyes. It was too powerful to not use.

But her deck was powerful, she was powerful, and she was going to kill this person before her, this Yugi person. She would kill them and be strong, kill them for the thousand years of pain and suffering.

The cool, calm, dark place continued to open, like an egg cracking from its shell.

She and the other voice on top of her own ignored it, hitting Yugi with a Hinotama card before causing the Red Eyes to feel pain by tearing off the wing.

The egg started to shatter, and she put a hand to her head and her heart. Why did it hurt?

"...don't want the puzzle to sink to the bottom of the ocean..."

That voice...

"...want you to take care of it for me...jounouchi..."

The voice on top of her said she had won, to break the puzzle and crush the one called Yugi by doing so.

She pulled off the small front piece and put it in her hand before starting to toss it—

"_I can't believe you, only a little girl would care this much about some dumb box. Hell, even _I _don't care this much about a box!"_

CRACK!

_His special treasure—sinking into the pool—_

_The small boy bouncing as he was hit—_

"_What you can show, but can't see"_

_I swore I would protect him because he did that for me when he had no reason to—why does it hurt? Why does it hurt so much? Help me..._

_It HURTS!!_

She was on her knees, holding the dear piece and Puzzle near her. She put the piece back and then put the Puzzle around her neck.

The other voice yelled at her for this, and she answered back.

"I'm a Duelist. I don't care about revenge or what happened 3000 years ago. I'm going to settle this in a duel!"

The other voice was angry at her, and she watched as the opponent summoned a monster and set two cards down. The voice yelled for her to finish him.

She would, with her Panther.

She attacked the new monster. The odd broken thing wouldn't allow her to attack the dragon, the one that looked at her with saddened and pain-filled red eyes.

The attack didn't work, and then she took damage.

She didn't care. The voice said to just wait, and she did, then she heard the boy's voice again. It was calm, reminding her of a half-forgotten memory...

"_Don't worry, Shizuka! I'll be here when everything's done!"_

"_You're no sister to her!"_

"_...I don't want to take off the bandages, Onee-chan. I'm scared!"_

"_I'll get you that courage, Shizuka! I'll be strong enough for both of us!"_

"_GET OUT! Never see her again, you lowlife! I know all about you, slut!"_

The egg's contents, a small black dragon with red eyes, gave a small roar. She played, with the voice yelling at her not to.

The whole of it was a blur as the dragon pulled her through memory after memory while her life-points went down to 700, even with Yugi.

Yugi her friend, along with his other side who loved him as much as Yugi loved his other side, neither wanting to tell the other for fear they would leave them one day. Anzu and Bakura and the other Bakura who was a prick but hopefully he was gone, right? Honda, the idiot, who said he was going to give her a surprise. Ryuji, who Honda liked but didn't like because he wasn't completely gay, really. Layla, who had taught her so much, who was coming back, was back, something like that, had that been her off to the side in the shadows when she dueled bug boy? Julia, Layla's sidekick, always funny, always proud "I'm a Fogg" of course. Mai...a duelist, her big sister for a big sister.

The voice told her to kill Yugi.

She screamed, as Jounouchi, fighting, breaking free to scream her rage and hate and hurt and sadness and everything else.

"I don't want that memory!"  
Yugi spoke, to Marik, and Jounouchi's hand moved not of her will, and then everything in her screamed against it as Yugi played the Reft Panel, as the Meteor was stopped, then as she felt the invading voice leave her, and she looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Why are we fighting?"

_Don't do it._

Yugi smiled at her, put down his Duel Disk, and said she was his best friend, that he had to use it to buy them time, so he could tell her that he was glad she broke free, and that he loved her like a sister.

_Don't do it._

_Don't do it_

_Don't_

_Don't_

_Don't—_

"no."

"Mystical Reft Panel, aim the attack at me!"

"YUGI!!"

He was too weak to tell her anything but run, in the fifteen seconds left run.

_Men were idiots._

_What can I do?_

_The Red Eyes—_

"Attack me! Please!"

The Red Eyes did so, and she saw the other box open up. Both the Duel Disk and Puzzle were dropped, her hurry leaving her no time to grab the other key.

She swung across, not aware of any other spectators as she reached for the key and the bomb exploded, sending them into the water.

The key to Yugi's cuff was firmly in her hand, and she let him go.

_You're a true friend...and you deserve to live more then I do._

_

* * *

  
_

Layla walked out of the shadows, enough to catch Kaiba's eyes as he dropped in the key.

* * *

Kaiba turned, seeing what appeared to be gold on the side. A woman stood there, dark hair mingling with the darkness, and an annoyed look on her face. Something inside of him knew this woman, and was ashamed of how he acted towards the dog—Jounouchi.

Jounouchi hadn't wanted for Yugi to risk his life. She wanted to take it all...

_--"I'm supposed to protect you two, not the other way around!"—_

Kaiba shook his head as he saw Yugi stirring before looking back and seeing no trace of the odd woman.

"You're okay!" Mokuba said happily, then looked to the water as it splashed out around a gasping Jounouchi.

Yugi had the look of utter disbelief and happiness as he yelled her name and she swam to shore, coughing up water as she did.

"God damn mother---" she stopped as she took a breath, then climbed out. He chose this time to point out that he had only saved her because she had forgotten the key. He couldn't believe how idiotic she was sometimes.

Jounouchi paused, stood up, then looked at him. "You saved me?"

"You aren't grateful? Want me to not save you next time?"

"Kaiba, I just nearly drowned. You will _not _play games with me."

"He's not!" Mokuba told her.

"..." Jounouchi looked at him, obviously reserving her looks towards Yugi for later for some reason, then back at Kaiba. She walked over as he turned to face someone who was now a decent Duelist.

"Kaiba--."

"Hmm?" He expected a punch like the one she had given him at Duelist Kingdom for his words, but the girl didn't do this.

His trench coat was grabbed, and he was pulled down to get a kiss on the cheek. She released him almost instantly then said, "I owe you one, so don't go saving my life again until I repay you."

She turned and went to the Puzzle, picking it up then looking at Yugi.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It wasn't your fault."

She was quiet at that, and Kaiba had the feeling she was going to do something stupid later, but for now she gave back Yugi the Puzzle before smiling at him and then seeming to have a quick word with his inner self before going to make sure Anzu was okay.

Kaiba was glad for being ignored when...

"Onee-chan!"

He saw Jounouchi stiffen completely, then look over and blink as the girl with bandages once more yelled and then Jounouchi yelled back.

"Shizuka!"

Kaiba watched the cute family reunion, noting the new person with flame red hair and some dark eyes who seemed happy to see Jounouchi and was known to the group, but not a Duelist as far as Kaiba knew. Jounouchi yelled at them about not wanting them to have done this, and then yelling as well about how she had failed.

Kaiba blinked. He didn't realize that she had felt that way. Of course, for a while, he had never counted the duel to get into Pegasus' castle against Yugi as a real Duel, and had hated himself for it as well. The duel against Pegasus hadn't felt like a real duel either, and no one seemed to feel it was a loss on his part.

This counted as one of those, didn't it? Why couldn't Jounouchi see that?

Abruptly, the newcomer slapped her, and Mai Kujaku began to yell at her about abandoning her 'Duelist pride'.

Honda looked ready to hit her too.

_I'll join in on this._

_But wasn't I like that, until I got hit? Ready to give up my own pride in the face of defeat? That duel against Yugi never should've happened that way. Jounouchi shouldn't feel like she's the only one who had to face such a thing—but she wasn't even there. Marik was controlling her, and she was fighting to get free._

Then Shizuka took off her bandages, spoke to Jounouchi, and opened her eyes.

* * *

Bright. So bright, and blocking it, becoming clearer, becoming so wonderful and there.

She's all wet from something. Her face is wet with tears and her eyes are amazed but saddened.

Shizuka's eyes focused, everything becoming clear, and she ran to hug her big sister. She finally found her, her big sister.


	5. Don't Fear the Reaper

Part 6: Don't Fear the Reaper

--_Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain (we can be like they are) come on baby (don't fear the reaper) baby take my hand (don't fear the reaper) we'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)—_

Julia smiled at her as the group piled into Mai's car, successfully making it over-crowded by at least three people.

"I'm glad you're okay," she told her, "You guys know where the Finals are?"

"The Domino Arena, I think," Mai told her, "That's where the map showed me, anyway."

"I'll meet you guys there soon. I have my own car, but it's a few minutes away. Oh, Jounouchi, here," she told her, pulling out the card that Industrial Illusions had made after her request, one card only. "Layla wanted you to have it." _Well, two, but I have to keep the other one now._

Jounouchi nodded and took the card. While Yugi tried to look, he couldn't see the image there, and Jounouchi put it in her Deck. "Thanks, Julia. Thank Layla too, if you see her before I do."

"You thank her, I hate passing on messages. Seriously, it can be annoying." She shook her head. "I'll see you all there, 'kay?"

The group drove off, Mai complaining about possible tickets for being overcrowded and Julia waited a while before looking over at a group of shadows. "Are you coming out or are you just going to stay there?"

Layla appeared and looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

"I want to know what happened to her. While I understand she went through a lot, she doesn't act like that unless it's something she really feels is worth yelling about. So what happened?"

Layla sighed, then told her.

* * *

His partner had scared him, doing what he had done, but he had then seen how committed Yugi was to his cause. He had proven to surpass him in this.

One day he would surpass him completely...then what?

The card given to Jounouchi worried him as well. A strange aura came from it, much like the one from Osiris or Obelisk, but weaker yet still willing to be strong.

More then that, it, like the power of Osiris and Obelisk, was familiar...

_Mou hitori no boku?_

_**I'm okay.**_ It was a lie, but one he had to tell. He had to be cruel, he didn't know why, but he had to keep that from his aibou.

_But that card..._

What was it about that card? Why was it getting to him when the approach of Marik and Battle City was so close? He should be worried about that, not the card.

But the magic from it was enough to make him worry...so should he be worried about it, about the unseen Layla and the equally mysterious Julia?

But they were Jounouchi's friend, obviously good friends. She had a good judge of people, so shouldn't he not be worried?

There were too many questions, especially about his past, especially about this.

* * *

Julia drove up in a hurry, slightly pissed that the Fogg anger was one of the well-known traits she had gained from her parentage. When angered, Foggs were notorious for being extremely deadly and hateful towards those who had angered them. Jounouchi was like that too, one of the many reasons that Julia had been lead to wonder if maybe there wasn't some of the Fogg blood in her somewhere.

At the same time, her anger could be cool and collected, much like the one that Kaiba was said to have.

If they were related, it was going to be obvious that complications would come up. Layla had told her about the quick kiss, as well as what she was sure Jounouchi felt for the boy.

He hurts Jounouchi, and there would be hell to pay.

She made it in time to see that the gang was all there, and was also there to be introduced to the boyfriend of Anzu, Bakura. This was the one who Layla wanted to have an eye-out for. Considering that Jounouchi was making a deal about possible hurt caused by his arm and he was trying to move it towards her, Julia had to say she might be right, but there might be another force behind this one.

Next up came a boy named Namu, who Jounouchi was wary about, and Julia knew this had to be the boy that Layla described as Marik.

_Great._

Then another man, one with tattoos down his face, came up claiming to be Marik.

_Just great. I hope she's damned sure that this _never happened before_ because if it did, there should be a manual about what to do and I want that._

With most of the finalists assembled, only one left and obviously not appearing anytime soon, the group headed in, only stopped briefly by the guards before running in.

_I hope this isn't a normal occurrence for those of us in the peanut galley._

She was more then happy to see Jounouchi and her sister watching the scenery as they rose above the city. Julia had seen the sight often enough, but still enjoyed it with the various other cities, and she had never seen it over Domino.

"This is great, Onee-chan," Shizuka told her.

"It's very nice," Julia agreed, "I don't think I've ever seen the city like this before. Remind me to congratulate Kaiba-kun at one point."

Jounouchi smiled at that, though not really, before saying, "I guess he wanted real duelists to be able to fly too."

Nearby, Kaiba gave a small laugh. "It doesn't take much to excite people, does it, you dead-beat Duelist?"

Jounouchi bristled, "Excuse me?"

"An _average _Duelist at best," he continued, "I'm sure you'll freeze up at the first sign of something more challenging."

"Considering you've only seen me Duel _once while in my right mind, _you don't have a lot to say, now do you jackass?"

Kaiba walked off, obviously not interested in speaking to Jounouchi anymore. Jounouchi glared after him and then turned back. "Forget him."

"I somehow think you actually restrained yourself."

"You've been talking to Honda too much, Julia."

Julia shrugged as the finalists went to their rooms and everyone slowly invaded Jounouchi's room for part of the night. While Jounouchi protested greatly about this, she couldn't do too much about it, and neither could Julia, really.

The group slowly settled in until another announcement brought the group to the main room for the drawing of who would duel who.

* * *

The first Duel had been drawn by a bingo-type machine that, as it was Kaiba who was running this tournament, looked like a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Each of them were given numbers and awaited to see if they would go first.

Her number, 4, didn't come up, but instead Bakura's number and that of Yugi's.

Jounouchi frowned at this as Julia came up next to her. "What's up with the slightly nervous look?"

"Bakura runs an occult-Deck. I don't know how good he is."

"Honda's pretty confident on who's gonna win this."

They all headed upstairs, to where the battle was supposed to take place, and Jounouchi said quietly to Julia, "There's also the problem that Bakura has a Millennium Item, and sometimes another personality. I don't know if it's been active lately, but I wouldn't put it past him if he had on a Duel Disk when he wasn't in this tournament before, and some guys said he stole their Disk before he mysteriously got hurt."

Julia looked at the door as it opened to the deck above, an open-air arena. "And now he's better, right? Yeah, I don't trust this either."

"An aerial Duel Field?" Honda yelled while both Otogi and Anzu complained about the cold. Jounouchi pulled her coat a little closer around her while Julia seemed unfazed by the change of temperature.

Kaiba chuckled from his own spot as he said, "The current altitude is 1,000 meters above the ground, giving a ten degrees Celsius difference from the ground. The air current will feel like blades cutting into your bones. It's in these harsh conditions that the duels will be held."

Julia gave Jounouchi a look at Anzu and the other non-Duelists decided to warm up by cheering on Yugi. Jounouchi shrugged, her way of saying that was Kaiba. Julia rolled her eyes as they turned to the two Duelists standing nearby. Even in the wind, their voices carried well.

"It's been a long time."

"I knew it," the other Yugi said, "I knew things were going a little _too _well. How long has your evil side been in control? Well, Bakura?"

Anzu and Honda gasped while Jounouchi glared, letting out a soft curse before saying, "Not again."

"You wanna clue the rest of us in?" Julia asked, jerking her thumb towards 'Namu' and herself. Jounouchi nodded and said, "To shorten the story, there are these Millennium Items that are around, possibly from Ancient Egypt. Rumor has it that those who hold them develop split personalities. Yugi has the Millennium Puzzle, and his other personality is good...but Bakura has the Millennium Ring, and his is not-so-nice."

"Define not-so-nice," 'Namu' asked.

Anzu was the one who answered, "Last year he lured us into playing an RPG game that nearly killed us."

"That's not-so-nice..." Julia confirmed, frowning as she watched the two. What had to be described an unbridled hate crackled between the two as they shuffled each other's decks then moved away, and the Duel began.

* * *

Jounouchi felt her hand turning into a fist as the Duel continued. What the hell? Bakura had to be a better Duelist then this! He had given up three monsters and now was down to 750 points...

And then he laughed.

"Ah fuck," Jounouchi said quietly as he saw him summon Dark Necrofear and the Duel begin to turn in Bakura's favor.

Julia frowned as well, her concern obvious as she watched the way the Duel was progressing. It went from one to another, and she suddenly smirked when she felt it.

_Do you feel it too, Jounouchi?_

Jounouchi looked up as she watched the arena changed to the way it had been a few turns before, and then when thunder began to strike before Julia noticed not just the awed look, but the hint of a smile in her eyes.

"Osiris, the Sky Dragon."

Julia looked to one side as she noticed a new duelist appearing, the fake Marik, and she looked back over to where the field was and something was happening.

She looked at Jounouchi, who glared at the false Marik. So Jounouchi wasn't completely connected with that card yet, meaning it was up to Julia to have some fun.

"_Hey, spirit of the Ring! Are you gonna let some ass boss you around like that and hurt your host? You're being controlled...so what's stopping anyone else from going in and telling Yugi to attack? Do you want to lose this host?"_

_**Who are you? **_The dark mind asked her, glaring at her.

"_No one you know. So, are you going to take the coward's way out?"_

"Attack me!"

"You asked for it!"

Julia smiled as Jounouchi watched the large attack by Osiris and then her eyes turned to Julia, who gave a small smirk before motioning, "I think Bakura's hurt."


	6. Stand My Ground

Part 7: Stand My Ground

--_All I know for sure is I'm trying...I will always stand my ground...Stand my ground, I won't give in, I won't give up, no more denying, I got to face him, I'll close my eyes, and hide the truth inside, if I don't make it, someone else will stand my ground--_

The group had gathered partly in Bakura's room, making sure he was okay while they discussed how it was that Marik got into Bakura's head as well.

"I'm in favor of Bakura just staying away from Millennium Items," Julia said after hearing about it, "He seems to attract the ones that involve insanity and evil spirits...which is kinda sad, considering how nice he seems."

Anzu seemed worried about Bakura, who Jounouchi had explained to Julia that Anzu was Bakura's girlfriend, while everyone else was worried about the intensity of the first Duel.

"All things considered," Julia said, "things are not going to be pretty by the end of this whole thing." The boy next to her, Otogi, nodded as Yugi sighed.

"We almost lost too...had the other Bakura not appeared, my other self wouldn't have attacked. He didn't want to hurt anyone."

Julia frowned at this and then said, "Wait, why expose his weaker side in the first place?"

Yugi said, "It wasn't his evil side...it was the other mind in there..."

Julia blinked. "Wait, three minds? Yeah, the boy is going to have issues."

Jounouchi stopped and then said, "That was Marik, wasn't it?"

Yugi nodded and Julia watched Jounouchi's fist tighten while Anzu asked how Marik could get into Bakura's mind in the first place.

"The Millennium Rod," Yugi explained, "It has the power to control people's minds..."

Jounouchi blinked and looked over, anger evident in her eyes, "Wait, so Marik was the one who was controlling me during that psychotic Duel?"

"Yeah," Yugi said with a nod.

Julia pushed Otogi away and took a step to the side as Jounouchi whirled and hit the wall between them. Otogi looked surprised and fearful, considering the small dent in the wall, while Julia didn't look surprised at all. Consider that she had known Jounouchi for a while, she knew why the girl had done it. She had also heard from Mai that a small comment about Kaiba had landed a nice-sized hole in Pegasus' wall as well. Considering that Jounouchi only remembered part of the fight and wasn't happy about having to have had it anyway, it was obvious that her anger was going to be fully directed at the hooded Marik for the better part of the Duels.

"I am NOT letting him get away with that," she growled before pulling her hand back and flexing it a little, the bruising obvious.

"I hope that's not you're Dueling hand," Julia said as the announcement was made for the rest of the Duelists to come up for the next drawing. Jounouchi gave her a small smile as the group headed out, Anzu staying behind to watch over Bakura.

* * *

There were two thoughts going through Kaiba's head when the second Duel was about to begin. One was the fact that Jounouchi would make a good lab rat to see the power of the God Card Ra, which Marik was supposed to have.

The other, strangely enough, was worry. He knew Jounouchi wasn't that good of a Duelist and, by all rights, he should've thrown her out the minute after she resurfaced from nearly being pulled into the depths of the harbor. Instead he had allowed her to be in the tournament, mainly because despite what had appeared to be a worthless Duelist when he had first met her, she had grown enough to actually win those locator cards, and he had put in some serious Duelists into this tournament.

Of course, Jounouchi's friend didn't help his opinion of her. Considering everyone else, they seemed normal.

"I don't think I've seen this much technology in a while. What, does Kaiba have a hard-on for technology or something?"

In some cases, anyway...

"I don't think I've seen her stare anyone down in a while!" Honda said, smirking as he watching the glare that Jounouchi was sending as well as the waves of hatred towards her opponent. Kaiba had to admit that he had heard stories about Jounouchi's glares, and at least once during his time in school seen the result of someone who didn't take it seriously.

"This isn't a fist-fight, though," Julia said, "but if it was, I'd still put my money on Jounouchi."

Mai seemed to be silent at the whole thing while Jounouchi and Marik drew their cards, Jounouchi's finally smirking before saying, "I'm going to win this duel."

"Like Hell," Kaiba muttered. If Ra appeared, Jounouchi wouldn't have a chance.

So the Duel started, Jounouchi pulling out one of her monsters while Marik played a Permanent Spell Card, Royal Temple, which allowed him to play two traps in a turn.

So it continued, looking for a while like a stalemate, Jounouchi summoning two more monsters as more trap cards were laid.

Jounouchi then smirked and activated 'Giant Trunade', causing Kaiba to smirk a little as well. That would destroy all his traps...and a quick calculation told him that any attack would annihilate Marik.

_Serves him right for having only a Trap Deck..._

Then Marik activated the Trap Card "Judgment of Anubis", which not only nullified Jounouchi's Spell but also destroyed her monsters and sent her life points down to 1850.

"Ouch..." he heard Julia say from nearby as Jounouchi glared at the man after her last monster disappeared before taking her turn. After a second she gave him a smile.

"You're pretty damn good for an evil bastard. Maybe I should start taking you seriously, even if you're a baby who hides behind Traps."

Kaiba was amazed at her enthusiasm, but chocked it up to her being an idiot. She should've realized he was serious to begin with...

Marik took his turn and set down another Trap, to which Jounouchi finally yelled, "WHAT THE HELL? IF YOU'RE GOING EASY ON ME 'CAUSE I'M A GIRL I AM GOING TO SERIOUSLY GET PHYSICAL AND KICK YOUR ASS, YOU FUCKING COWARD!"

"Turn end," Marik said, now glaring at her.

Jounouchi drew her card and looked at it before summoning Alligator Sword then placing a face-down card. Marik passed on his turn after drawing and now Jounouchi's glare turned venomous as she drew a new card and summoned one more monster, Rocket Warrior, before finally attacking with Rocket Warrior.

This set off one of Marik's traps, which allowed her to summon her Trap, hiding the monster in a game of chance.

Kaiba frowned before he remembered briefly that Jounouchi had gotten a new Deck...her old Warriors along with Spells and Traps dealing with Chance.

_That type of Deck is harder to play then a normal one. If you lose, then you could easily be destroyed..._

At the same time, Marik unleashed his own traps...

* * *

Jounouchi felt herself go to one knee after the hit by the snake-fiends that Marik had summoned. Damn it, what wasn't she seeing?

"There is no way you can win with your strategy..."

Jounouchi's free hand turned into a fist.

"This is as far as you go."

--_"What do you want?"_

"_Teach me."_

"_Like you could learn."_

"_TEACH ME!"_

"_I said no."_

_A punch, evaded easily, "Teach me!"_

_A hit to the stomach, stopping her easily as she hit the sidewalk, "You can't fight anyone like that, and even if you can, you can't win."_

"_...then teach me how to win."—_

"Nee-san, please! I know you can win! You've come this far...you've given me light when I was in darkness! You have to beat him!"

"Get up, you idiot!"

Jounouchi sighed and started to move when she heard Marik speak again. "Since I've won, may I ask you as question?"

Jounouchi looked up and now stood before saying, "What the fuck do you mean, 'Since I've won'? You got in a lucky hit, and last I checked, I still have Life Points. This fight isn't over, not until I make you cry like the little bitch you are! So no, you can't fucking ask me anything until one of us is out of this duel!"

With that she drew her card, glanced at it, and smirked. "I place two cards face down. Turn end!"

Marik smiled. "So my prey decides to still fight. Very well...Avatars of Apophis, eliminate the enemy!"

As the snakes drew in again, Jounouchi smirked, "I activate my cards!"

At that, the snakes were destroyed, and before her stood Jinzo.

"Like I said, this Duel isn't over yet...and if you're done, isn't it my turn? Okay Jinzo, Attack!"

* * *

Rishid paused as he considered his ways of destroying Jinzo as well as defeating Jounouchi. The girl had spunk, and in some ways showed him that she was more then able to hold her own, though it was mainly on her luck then anything else.

He drew his card, then paused, his surprise obvious.

_How did this card come into my Deck?_

Rishid didn't notice the sudden blink from Jounouchi or the pause and worry coming from both Julia and Mai as he finally put a card face down and sealed the other card into the Temple's Ark.

Now all he needed was one more card, and he could win without unleashing that card.

_**You need to say you're me, to prove it to everyone else...**_

Rishid looked at Jounouchi, who was obviously sweating after he summoned Selket, then decided it.

_I don't need that card to win..._

He attacked.

* * *

"Crap," Julia said as she watched Selket grow stronger.

_That's an appropriate word._

_--Oh, hi, thank you for wandering into my head like that.—_

_I came to see the fight. That's not Marik._

_--I know that. You know that. Saying I know that and revealing you would just make things be off, wouldn't it?—_

_I suppose...still, something about this bothers me..._

_--Like what?—_

_The Ishtars lived in darkness, from what I could find out. They have since they split from the main group, and that idea of craving the Pharaoh's memory into the back of the first-born son came along for whatever reason...I knew I should've had someone keep an eye on Saim's family._

_--It's hard enough to keep an eye on YOU...though at least his family would be in one place...—_

Julia heard Layla sigh before adding, _That man is a servant, a shadow..._

_--Obviously—_

_Julia, it's more then just someone pretending to be Marik because Marik brainwashed them...this man is up there and fighting _for _Marik, to prove something...and that card..._

_--It could easily be the death of him...—_

_Yes...I wish I knew the story...that man's history must be sad._

_--Like yours isn't?—_

There was a long pause from Layla as Jounouchi called for her sister to cheer up and keep watching, no matter what happened, and Julia saw the man's eyes seem to grow thoughtful.

--_Layla...this man might not have been born into those Tomb Keepers, but maybe he grew up with them. So he's not a part of the family, but a servant who wished it because he was so close to them in some ways.—_

_True...watch over him._

_--Like I don't have enough to do.—_

_Part of the curse was that one would go against the Pharaoh and that same one would redeem himself. I'm not liking this, though, and especially since this whole tournament is mixed with the Gods and the Shadow Realm, Kaiba's technology or not._

_--Maybe he thought his technology would stand up to magic?—_

_Julia..._

_--What?—_

_Watch over the man. None of the Gods liked to be messed with, Ra least of all._

_--Yes ma'am.—_

The presence left in time for Julia to see Selket pause before the false Marik decided to pull back and revive Ra. A few minutes before, Jounouchi had declared that she knew he was a false Marik, and despite having no way of winning, she stood strong and ready to fight.

Even with nothing left, she was ready to fight.

And as they watched, the false Marik decided to call forth the Sun God Ra.

The Ark and Selket disappeared into the sky as a large whirlwind appeared, and near it was a dark shape of a bird-dragon that spread it's wings. Nearby, Kaiba had the look of someone who was seing God, while Yugi appeared worried.

Then Julia felt something in her head burn as the dark bird-dragon disappeared, and everyone watched as it disappeared and confusion abounded. "I don't think that was supposed to happen..." Julia muttered as, just as suddenly as the odd storm started, lightning began to strike down upon the field.

"Holy shit!" Julia yelled as the lightning and light hit the field before one struck the false-Marik.

"Crap, are you okay?" Jounouchi yelled from her spot, starting to move before she was also hit.

"JOUNOUCHI!" the collective voices yelled as the blond went down as well.

Julia started to head for the platform only to be stopped by one of the goons. "Kaiba, are you going to let this go by? Jounouchi and that other guy could be hurt!"

Kaiba looked at her coldly, then finally said, "We'll give them three minutes. If neither of them get up, then their both disqualified."

Julia considered hurting him severely, but finally turned her head back to Jounouchi while silently willing her to get up.

* * *

_In the dark, he was left. Glaring at him was the one who he always wanted to call 'father'._

"_You can never be part of our clan!" he said angrily, then turned, taking away..._

_Marik...no, he was supposed to protect Master Marik...but did this mean...did this mean..._

No, _Rishid thought as his mind slowly went dark, _no, please, I need to stop him from rising again...I need to stop that dark shadow within Marik...

* * *

_In the dark, she awake only to have the florescent lighting appear brightly in her eyes, blocked partly by the grouping of Yugi, Honda, Otogi, Mazaki and Bakura trying to wake her up, saying something about a duel she had to be in about five minutes from now._

"_Come on, Julia and Mai are outside!" Yugi said, "Hurry up and get going!"_

_A chuckle from nearby and she turned to glare at the school-clothing!Kaiba with a Duel Disk on his wrist. "Small fry," he muttered before heading out, causing Jounouchi to glare._

"_Okay, I'm up!" she yelled at her friends as they started to leave, getting out of her desk to move._

_

* * *

  
_

"And the winner is—Jounouchi Katsuya!"

Jounouchi blinked as she looked around. The dark cloud had cleared and opposite of her was the fallen false-Marik. On the ground where he cheering friends, near them was a glaring Kaiba and Namu, who looked like he was in pain, but this was trivial at the moment; she wanted to help out the guy.

She sprinted the short distance, turning the man over to look at him as his eyes slowly opened and blinked at her.

"You—were a good duelist," he muttered.

"You too...but why were you covering for Marik?"

"Ma-rik...you must stop him...the dark...the shadow within him..."

"Shadow within?" She looked up as Yugi, who came over, looked back at Namu as well right before he let out a scream and _changed._

His hair, normally tamer and down, now flowed up and while, while on his forehead was a burning eye like the one that only appeared when Yami no Yugi was pissed or punishing someone with a Penalty Game. His lavender eyes turned soulless and he smirked evilly at them.

"finally..." it said softly, then loudly and with a distortion to the voice, "Finally, I'm free."


	7. Shadow of the Sun

Part 8: Shadow on the Sun

--_I can tell you why people go insane; I can show you how you can do the same...—_

The group glared at the new Marik, who after a chuckle at the threats given and at Kaiba's denial of any past that might allow him to 'control God'.

The group had moved Rishid to be treated by the lead medical person onboard, who couldn't really understand Rishid's unconscious state, and finally the group was shooed out to allow him breathing room.

That was when Mai posed a question to Jounouchi, as to what had obviously influenced her to get up. With Kaiba in listening range, Mai knew she wouldn't get a decent answer.

"It was a _nightmare_, or maybe something else, but I was in a dog suit and Kaiba's Ego was apparent HUGE, though that might've been a good thing in this dream."

Mokuba looked confused while Kaiba seemed to start to turn red.

"So I said something along the lines of 'I knew you'd come for me one day' and he said something about shutting up and bending over, while I mentioned that I wouldn't until I wasn't the only Furry in the room—so he turned into a large dragon!Kaiba and—"

Kaiba steered Mokuba away and, once out of earshot, Jounouchi relaxed.

"Was that another dream?"

"Never ask me that question again!"

"So what _did _bring you up?"

"Everyone, I guess. I did have an odd dream again, but this time I was in a classroom and everyone was making me hurry because I needed to get somewhere. Apparently, you and Julia were going to drive me there, and I had only a few minutes to get there."

"So I was there?"

"You were outside, I was going to your car."

"..."

Jounouchi smiled, "It felt like real life, I guess. I see those guys all the time, but hearing you and Julia would be there...well, it got me up faster."

"Really?"

"Mai, you're like the big sister I never had, and Julia is...well, she's Julia. Same can be said about Layla, who wasn't in the dream, oddly enough, but the card she gave me was. I don't get to see you a lot, and when I do see you, I'm more then ready to drop everything else to see you. You're my friend who isn't always there, so seeing you or the thought of seeing you motivates me a little more then seeing Mazaki or one of the others, 'cause I always see them. Not seeing them is when I get worried..."

Mai smiled then snickered. "Thanks, I guess."

"Well, there are only two matches left. Good luck on yours!"

Mai nodded, and the group left to go and wait for the next pairing.

* * *

The minute Mai's ball came out, she turned to walk out, Julia frowning as she noticed. "Um...don't you want to find out who you're going to duel?"

Mai paused long enough before she shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter. Whoever I duel, we'll duel. Me seeing who it is won't change the fact."

With that, she headed out, Julia looking worriedly over at Jounouchi as the next ball came out and both suddenly turned to run out.

"Mai Kujaku VS Marik Ishtar!"

* * *

Mai looked over as she heard two rather loud sets of footsteps come up the side and blinked upon seeing Jounouchi and Julia race out and stop just short of the Dueling Arena.

"Mai!"

"THIS IS BAD, very BAD!"

"What," she asked as the elevator for the other Duelist opened, "are you two talking about?"

"_YOU'RE DUELING MARIK!_"

Mai looked over as the once-strange and quiet man appeared, his hair flowing upwards and his eyes dark with kohl and something else, a glowing yellow eye on his forehead. She blinked at him and then sighed.

_Why do I get the psychos?_

Straightening, Mai said, "I'm a Duelist. I'm going to fight him, no matter what, and see what I can do. You two stop worrying."

"DON'T YOU START ACTING COOL _NOW_, THE MAN IS A SERIOUS PSYCHO!" Jounouchi shouted back as the Duel began.

Mai knew that. She knew the ones who would crave blood and death as much as Jounouchi and Julia did.

That didn't mean she was going to back down from a challenge, as huge as it was, and that also didn't mean she couldn't at least grab _this one's _God Card and use it against him.

_I can do this,_ Mai thought as Marik raised up an odd golden item and smiled as ominous black clouds began to form around the ring.

* * *

Julia disliked this whole thing. As it was, it didn't take long for Mai to sudden scream out at some unseen horror, or for Yugi or Jounouchi to try and help her out. While Yugi had warned her that this was a Shadow Game, and that she could be in danger because of it, Mai went along, stating that she had no real choice in the matter: any Duelist takes up a challenge and goes in it for the win, and even if it gets dangerous they don't back off of it, they continue onward.

So with little choice in the matter, the group watched as Mai used her Amazons and cards to fight off Marik, or at least keep her points up a little, before she gained one card from him.

The God Ra.

* * *

Despite all the cheers from the group, it was obvious to Yugi (and unknown to him, Julia) that the Ra card wouldn't yield to Mai. It wasn't anything to do with her Duelist spirit: the card found her love of air and land, her pride in being one of the few females who Dueled, to be a lovely part of a Duelist, and accepted her in that.

But it was also her pride that was her downfall, something that Marik and Yugi couldn't see but that Julia, through Layla, could. Pride was both a sin and a virtue, and in this case it was both. Ra disliked his current owner due to his dark nature and his wish to destroy Ra's first master, his only true master, the Pharaoh, but this girl, while not bathed in the same bloodthirsty Dark, she was full of pride on her ability and her chance of winning just because she won. She should realize that losing was also an option, not just the win but realizing new ideas and strategies. Had Dueling not been reinvented for fun instead of protection?

For that, Ra saw about to her fall.

Of course, that didn't mean that Jounouchi or the Pharaoh would put up with it, and of course moved to try and stop it.

* * *

Layla watched Ra striking at the Pharaoh, and screamed into the wind from Merew's back, her anger building to a point where, had she been close enough and had it not been so important to stay back, the shadow inhabiting Marik, as well as a good portion of the zepplin they were on, would've been destroyed in her anger.

* * *

Mai was vaguely aware of seeing Yugi fall over, and of Jounouchi's stand against the advancing Marik. There was a sudden movement Jounouchi froze, as if trapped by some unseen force.

_Mai._

_**Layla?**_

_That's right...I need to ask you something._

Marik was saying something about a Penalty game for her--

_It's not going to happen, at least not how he says it. But for this to work, you have to promise me something._

_**What?**_

_When I ask it, you'll come with me into danger, and when you're there--_

Mai looked around from her prison in a glass hour glass, strange bugs above her and held in place by a card as Marik explained that when he took back the Ra card, she'd start to die.

_--you'll do what must be done to not only hurt Yugi, but anyone else who gets in our way._

_**I will.**_ The bugs descended on her as she heard Marik laugh.


	8. Duel of the Fates

Part 9: Duel of the Fates

Jounouchi was still shaken by what Marik had told her, even with Julia's odd mutterings of her not worrying about it or doing 'anything rash'. Of course, she couldn't do anything because the duels weren't over, and she was going to take out Marik in the final round, Ra card or not.

All but Julia and Shizuka headed up to see who it would be against Kaiba. The last Duelist had entered late and didn't socialize with anyone else, and with only Kaiba and him or her left, everyone who wasn't watching over someone was waiting anxiously to see the outcome.

"His opponent is…Isis Ishtar!"

Jounouchi froze in sudden fear over something she couldn't fully understand, watching as the Egyptian woman walked up, casting only the briefest glance at Marik before looking back at Kaiba.

Both Kaiba and Yugi were surprised by her arrival, and Kaiba attempted to cover it up by growling at the woman, "Why are _you _here?"

"The Millennium Tauk lead me here…Kaiba. I must defeat you…" she was silent as to the reason, but it was obvious that Kaiba didn't need the reason either.

* * *

"It's _my _fate to lose?" Kaiba said, laughing at the pronouncement, "Don't make such dumb jokes, especially dressed like that! _You _gave me the God Card, and urged me to host Battle City and descend upon the Ghouls…now you're telling me _you_ are going to _beat me _in my own semi-finals? You make a good first impression…Isis."

Kaiba only saw her look at him with eyes that seemed to hold the truth, that unnerved him…and forced out his own thoughts on the occult, on what power he had that Isis Ishtar had given him, and that she had the audacity to say she would not only take from him, but also that he would _lose…_

_If I lose this card to anyone, it will be Yugi. He is the only one who is worth my time here._

With a yell to Isono, the Duel Proctor, the Duel began, Kaiba going first and summoning his blood-thirsty Vorse Raider before placing a card face-down.

With unearthly calm, Isis began her turn and the Duel.

* * *

Shizuka had left to get some water when Layla appeared in the bedroom, looking over at Mai before saying, "I don't like what's going on with the Ishtar family. You'd think they'd learn from their mistakes."

Julia looked over and shrugged. "I wouldn't know anything about that, as I don't Duel. I have other things to do besides play children's card games."

Layla smiled at that and looked over at Mai's unconscious form. "Isis is using the Millennium Tauk to predict the outcome of the Duel with Kaiba."

"Anything good, or can you not see the future?"

Layla frowned at Julia's remark before saying, "No, I can't see it. I just know that Kaiba _can't _lose a Duel now…it would be the end of him. And even if Isis continued onward to the rest of the tournament, it wouldn't be the same. Her plan is to go forward with the simple idea of sacrificing herself to save her brother from Darkness. I'm not surprised, as this curse was put on the family a little over a hundred years ago, but I don't like the idea that she would sacrifice someone who is obviously important for her gain. If my sebah doesn't win the Gods in this tournament, but is given them by default, they _won't _obey him and the tablet that 'Yami Bakura' and the Ishtar's believe in so much will not lead him to his memories."

Julia leaned back in her chair. "That's not good, not just for our plan but also for the whole world. I think Mokuba needs his brother like Kaiba needs this tournament. Do you know, with the trajectory, the only place we can go to is Alcatraz Island?"

Layla frowned and Julia stated, "Alcatraz isn't the natural one off San Francisco…it's also a man-made one that Kaiba's adoptive father created to test various military equipment. Gosaburo was a fanatic about how to run is company and used that fortress to corrupt various equipment for arms deals and advancement of warfare…it was compared to the advancement of weaponry during the late 19th century to it's full use in World War I, or even the use of technology and railroads by our American cousins in their Civil War…but Kaiba, when he took over, destroyed that all. In the short time he's owned KaibaCorp and turned it into a Game Design company, his advancement in dueling and gaming is the same as Gosaburo's advancements, which incidentally only took place _after _he took Kaiba as his son."

Layla frowned before saying, "He used Kaiba's ideas, and made him bitter."

"I would guess. The problem here, though, isn't just where we're going, but what will happen if Yami Bakura continues as he is. He's already got some contact with Hikaru Marik, and that connection might result in a Duel."

"I know."

"So?"

"I plan to deal with that Darkness after this Duel. Because what Isis doesn't count on is the other Millennium Item up there…the one with a connection to Kaiba himself, when he was my other. The Millennium Rod will decide this Duel, and both Kaiba and Seto were very adverse to the idea of fate leading them anywhere but where they wanted to go, and the only person they could stand to lose to was my sebah. That won't change just with the appearance and misuse of the Tauk."

"I hope you're right. If he dies, Jounouchi will be harder to deal with."

"She's already hard to deal with."

"Do you really think Jounouchi, our Red-Eyes, will take place of Seto's beloved Blue-Eyes?"

Layla never answered the question, only disappeared as Shizuka returned with the drinks and to continue to watch over Mai.

* * *

Jounouchi frowned as she watched the new monster that Isis brought out, trying to remember what she knew of Kaiba's Deck. While Yami no Yugi's was relatively balanced with Dark and Earth monsters, mostly those that did well to defend or work together, and Yugi's own Deck held various Level-based monsters and backup cards, Kaiba had been one who enjoyed either letting the Duel carry on a little while or crushing his opponents as swiftly as he could. His 'Crush' Deck held some of the larger attack-point based monsters, as well as cards that were meant to devastate his opponent's Deck and leave them vulnerable. He'd also only bring out higher-level monsters, like Blue-Eyes, if he had to, or Obelisk if he REALLY wanted to crush his opponent.

_He's like a huge pile of stone anyway_, Jounouchi thought with a frown as she watched Isis equip her monster with the Sword of Dodgra and attack the Vorse Raider, _unmovable and unchangeable except if some other force is smashed into him…then he just crumbles and can never be put back together again…_

The thought made her freeze as she realized something.

"Yugi," she whispered as Kaiba's Crush Card Trap card activated and Isis lost all monsters with 1500 or more attack points, "what will happen is Kaiba loses, like Isis says?"

His silence unnerved her, and despite her dislike of Kaiba's arrogance and speech against his own past and the supposed future that Isis had seen, she wished with all her heart that he won.

She wouldn't see him, lying in a ruin like the namesake of that blue god-card he had in his Deck.

* * *

_I only have six cards…I have seven turns to win…_

He had never been so unnerved, except in the first game against the other Yugi, when he brought forth that game called a Shadow Game which inspired him to create the Duel Box and later the Duel Disk. After that, he had only played the other Yugi in games that were generally normal…his Duel with Pegasus had been covered with the obvious influence of a man who could read all his Deck and who had forced him to give up when, in a normal Duel, he might've had a fighting chance.

But _this _was more unnerving…

The trap of the Tomb Keepers, to have the dead rise and his living soldiers fall, and then to have her force him to discard that card which might help him. To leave him one option, no other option but waiting and hoping he could survive more attacks and use her monsters to summon Obelisk (which was thankfully in his hands)…could he do that?

"Kaiba!" Yugi's voice broke through his doubts, forcing him to look over and blink as the shorter man said, "I see the future as well! I see a road that goes on as far as the eye can see! Battle City isn't over…it's not over until _WE _fight!"

Kaiba couldn't help but smile at that. Of course…this tournament wouldn't be over until then. He had to fight and see how good Yugi was still. He had to show that he was better…and failing that, he had only one person to lose to. He wouldn't lose to this second-rate charlatan who tried to unnerve him. He would defeat her, and continue onward.

"Then wait for me, Yugi!" he shouted over a blast of cold air as he went back to the Duel.

_Our rivalry will overcome fate!_

_

* * *

  
_

_Don't be so sure_, Layla thought from the shadows, her eyes on the two Ishtars and the Millennium Rod. _Your rivalry is fate, Kaiba. Maybe it's just a stronger fate then what Isis sees._

_

* * *

  
_

Jounouchi didn't want Kaiba to attack. Something inside of her, maybe the Duelist instinct, _screamed _at him to not attack, to see another path then Obelisk.

Yugi's instincts told him the same thing, and Kaiba's silence spoke for itself. Isis was quiet, her eyes showing her full knowledge that, no matter what instincts screamed, no matter _how _much Kaiba's subconscious and body REBELLED against this road he was being forced down, there was no other way for him to go.

Layla smiled and looked at the Rod, whispering silent words that disappeared in the howling wind. "My other…Seto…help your new self and allow the rivalry to continue. My other…fight my sebah."

The Rod lit up as Kaiba began to speak, and suddenly stopped, Layla smirking as she disappeared into the shadows once more.

* * *

_Why do I feel so sad?_

"_Did you love her, my other?" "I…I cared for her. I don't know."_

_A stone slab, and before it was a man in strange garb, a dead woman in his arms, that odd Rod in his hands, and…and…_

THIS ISN'T ME!

_**Of course it isn't. But it was. And I miss you, my other. Survive this encounter, fight the one you always fight, forever and ever, and love another with a dragon in her heart. Maybe this time, you will not lose her.**_

**But he is mine to protect.**

_**I know. But that doesn't mean he cannot love another dragon…or do you intend on being reborn as well?**_

…**I am fine here. I am fine being his symbol. I will be his symbol forever.**

_**Show her, Kaiba. Show her Fate, and fight Yugi at the end of Battle City.**_

Kaiba staggered back into reality, the voices and images disappearing into the back of his mind as he tried to make sense of it.

_Why do I feel so sad?_

He looked at his cards, at the rearing dragon on top of his hand. Blue-Eyes…

**I will be his symbol forever.**

Obelisk was power, but…what was her face-down card? He had to defeat it! He had to defeat her! Why was he trying with a card _she _gave him? Why was he relying on power given over just to be taken away in such a callous way? He would rely on the power that always served him, the power like Yugi's Dark Magician that forever came when needed!

_I trust this vision…_

"I will summon Blue-Eyes!"

He didn't stop to realize how stupid it sounded to stay the last part out-loud, but it was worth Isis panicking look as she muttered, "no…you _have _to use Obelisk!"

"Who says?" he growled back, activating Silent Doom to get another monster. He needed two monsters…he has summoned Obelisk on her turn…so two monsters meant—

Obelisk went without a sound, as if it didn't care, and her card disappeared as the Blue Eyes appeared, roaring its rage at her. How _dare _she abuse the power of the Millennium Items in such a way? How _dare _she manipulate his fate, which was his own? How _DARE _she try to take away his battle with Yugi? His pride and soul, his Blue-Eyes, would rend her to shreds for her insolence!

"You look surprised, Isis," he growled, taunting but still angry, "Did you not see my Blue-Eyes in that future of yours?" Her silence was all the answer he needed. She had not, and had tried to push him down another path, a path he couldn't agree with, that had meant his destruction and humiliation. She had not cared what happened to him or his brother, had not cared what walls she would push him from…

His anger with her rose, and with it the Blue-Eyes roared all the louder.

**Say the words, and I shall destroy her future! I will shape our new future, and we will walk the road towards the battle once more with your eternal rival and his servant! Give me the words!**

"This is my Battle Phase! Blue-Eyes, tear open the future! Attack!"

Lightning lit up the sky, a blue beam as compared to the bright-yellow of Ra from earlier, and when it cleared, Isis stood with a defeated look in her eyes, though she remained upright as the winner was declared.

"Kaiba," she said softly as he started to walk off, causing him to look back at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You have changed your fate in this Duel…you are now the **true **possessor of a God Card. Forgive me, though, for attempting to take the light of hope from this Duel."

He waited, something in his mind making him wait to hear the rest.

"The Millennium Tauk only saw a future of darkness…but perhaps that future can change…people like you can change the future."

He'd heard enough. "People who waste their lives believing in 'fate' cannot see that light you said you took away, and probably don't deserve to see it."

* * *

He could _read_ the text? Why? Mai couldn't read it, and she was a good Duelist! What had Marik said, something about it being…being…

"_This is hieratic text," a man with one eye said, the other covered with—NO!_

Kaiba barely heard Mokuba's worried voice as he put his head in his hand, bending over the consol and attempting to collect his thoughts. He hadn't realized how _tired _he was, how much his head felt like it was cracking under some unseen pressure.

_What happened during that Duel? What opened up? Why have the Gods shown me this?_

_

* * *

  
_

Layla considered various ways of destroying Shadi as she listened briefly to Isis' narrative about Marik's life and the appearance of the manipulative man. She knew she should've killed him and the others a century ago, when she ran into them after that battle and the division of the Tomb Keepers into two groups. But she had not foreseen the man taking such actions, and didn't realize that he'd do what he could to drive Marik towards this course.

_You're not to blame for only seeing a dark road ahead, Isis_, she thought as she moved to her next confrontation, _Shadi wishes to join my sebah's soul and send it into the next world. Fool! Did he not understand that it takes an entirely different ritual to send his soul and to keep it here, where it's so obviously needed?_

_Speaking of darkness, though…_

She paused, looking over at Rishid and then to the door before speaking. "Merew. Keep the insane parasite out."

There was a low growl, almost a purr, from the shadows before she added, "This one needs to be safe. He is the key to awakening the remaining light within Marik. However, I need to speak to one other, and ensure that his part is dealt with before I can move forward with _my _plan. I don't want him to become a problem later on."

She stopped and smiled. "Speaking of my problem," turning, she smiled at the shadow of a man with white-blond hair and a band of white bandaging around one arm. "Hello. I take it Marik offered up the Millennium Rod and information on his back if you would destroy his other self?"

"He did. And who are you?"

Layla laughed at the question. "It _has _been a while, if you have forgotten even yourself and who I am. Or did I really do so little to you, the last time I had to face you? I didn't think you'd take up _that _particular Item…indeed, I thought you'd be more inclined towards the Eye."

He frowned as he stepped out of the shadows and the door opened. Before Marik could move, Merew pounced, pinning him to the floor inside and growling.

"Merew," Layla said lightly, "don't eat him. We can't have anyone disappearing suddenly, or at least not in such a way. And besides, we might _need _that body." Itert and Menw came into being, circling and openly antagonistic towards Bakura as she turned to the darker Marik, kneeling to look at him.

"I know you don't know who I am, but you may have heard of me from stories. I am called Layla Naunet, but to you I was called the Mighty One. These are my pets, and they are quite hungry. The twentieth century hasn't allowed them to eat as much as they'd like."

Despite his particular breed of crazy and liking of pain, the dark Marik froze while Layla said, "I don't care what you Guardians do in your spare time…I have washed my hands of your affairs a century ago, and even before then. I am a traitor to some and a goddess to others. But I have to speak to Bakura over there, and not the lighter side of you. So I will give you a choice. You will leave Rishid alone, and never enter this room again. If you do, Merew will eat you, slowly…and don't think that the Rod will help you. They are obviously of a different breed then what is created by the Items."

Seeing some form of understanding in his eyes, Layla stood and looked at Bakura. "Marik, leave. We are going to Duel, Yami no Bakura, and I am going to _ensure _you don't harm my sebah again."

At the word, Bakura smiled. "I should've guessed…it's you…the bloody guardian of the tombs, and the one closest to understanding the thief."


	9. You Will Know My NameBecause the Night

**Thanks once more to my reviewers. Sometime around this point things are going to diverge from "OH MY GOD! A GIANT ROCK!" to "Wait, you can't die! 4Kids would've censored it!" territory. This is because I'm using the manga version which contains blood, gore, and a few other evil things. Plus I also have my OCs to work in...which is where this chapter comes in.**

**So for a note: Almost all the cards used by Layla are NOT official YGO TCG cards. The only official ones are Trap Jammer, Horus' Servant and Horus the Black Flame Dragon (all levels). The rest I made up...'cause I could and there _should _be cards like that anyway :P**

**Warning: some m/m smex in the second half of this. Just skip the part with Yugi. Or read it, it's not _THAT _descriptive...  
**

Part 10: You Will Know my Name

--_And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.—_

The two walked up to the sky area, Layla frowning as she watched the boy who seemed to have all the confidence in the world. He remembered enough about himself, then, to know he wasn't the thief who had caused all this.

_Good. That makes my plan for him all the more painful._

As they stepped onto the duel arena, Layla pulled out her Deck and a spare Duel Disk, placing it on her arm and looking back up at the one called Yami no Bakura. He seemed to believe that _her _Shadow Games were the same as _his_.

"I take it you believe that, no matter what I do, you will win with your Ghoul Deck," she stated. "I've decided to play my Game."

"Oh? I thought you moved in Shadows too."

"I move in slightly different Shadows then you, sAb (_jackal_)!" she growled as the gloom surrounded them and she drew her card. "I intend to destroy you here and now, and therefore stop my sebah from ever facing you again. He sealed you and lost his life, and now a part of his spirit wishes life. I shall give that to him!" Looking down at her cards, she looked back up and said, "I play Horus, the Black Flame Dragon LV 4, and also one card. End turn."

The metallic black-armored bird looked at Yami no Bakura as he laughed. "That's it? You bring up dead gods? Very well then…I place one card face down, and play Goblin Zombie in Attack Mode!"

Layla sighed as she watched it appear. "I see…so you'd rather take hits then shield yourself. Very well…I play Horus' Servant in Attack Mode, and Equip him with the Flower of Life!" A brilliant symbol appeared around the dark man, twirling outward from one circle to two, then three, and on and on until it made an intricate design around him.

"For every turn which this is equipped to a Monster," she told him, "they gain 500 points of Attack and Defense. Now, Horus, destroy the Zombie!" The large bird cried out and opened it's mouth, sending a burst of blue flame towards the zombie as Bakura smiled.

"Look at your feet, _Mighty One_! I activated my card, Fearful Earthbound! You'll lose life-points every time you--."

"Trap Jammer, activate."

"GRRR…."

The attack ended, Layla looking around and smiling. "Can you hear it, fool?"

"What?"

"Listen…you'll hear your fate."

There was dead silence, and then he froze. "What have you done?"

"I told you," she said as he drew a new card, his hands shaking, "I have my _own _Shadow Games."

* * *

He glanced around as the moans of the damned grew louder, coming closer, many calling for his blood. Even being a collector of souls, it sent a thrill of dread through his body. How could she pull _him _to this place?

"I have been alive and active for three thousand years," she replied calmly as she studied her cards before saying, "Horus' Special Ability activates, by the way. It's destroyed a monster, so now it's Horus LV 6."

The monster's wings opened, the bird sending an angry growl towards him as he looked at his own cards.

"That doesn't explain it."

"My Items had no Shadow but my own. I was both afraid and willing for Death, so that I became it's intimate companion. I could travel, in my dreams, through the world and I met up with my sebah's soul, learning of another way to save him."

He frowned at that pronouncement. Another way?

"You are not involved, of course, which is why I feel destroying you is the best cause. I don't need you around, and neither does _he_. I also met a rather nice fellow a few centuries ago. Perhaps your host knows his name…Dante, I believe it was. Did you know that his work wasn't a lie, but a real adventure he had? Virgil was nice enough to give us a tour of Hell."

"SHUT UP! Your newer powers cannot destroy me!"

"Of course they can. New Gods destroy Old Gods all the time. I've been around longer then you…I know what I'm talking about."

He glared at her before saying, "I play two cards face down, and summon Gelina in Defense Mode!"

Layla drew another card, looking it over before saying, "How very dull. I hope you have a way to stop Horus from destroying your monster, and his Servant gains and extra 500 points."

"You're waiting for something special, my dear?"

She looked up at him as he shrugged. "Then I'll give it to you with this card…Dark Designator!"

She gave no sign of emotion as she drew the specific card, saying, "I counter with my own Trap card, Limbo."

"WHAT?"

"I return my monsters to my hand," she said as the two disappeared, "I don't need them anymore."

He snorted. "You say _I _enjoy punishment? I also activate the final card, Multiple Destruction! We lose both our hands to the Graveyard, and draw new hands! It costs me some life—what!?"

His knees were now stuck in a large amount of swamp-like land, a huge marsh around them.

"I told you. I visited Hell. This is the Styx. If you get stuck in it, you'll travel all the way to the bottom, and freeze for all eternity. That's where traitors like you go…Ahkenaden."

* * *

She waited as his turn ended, as he couldn't use his monster in Defense Mode, and drew another card before saying, "Turn end, for now."

He laughed, playing a face-down card and summoning Puppet Master of the Dead, as well as three others, to the field.

"Your turn is next! You'll die before this is done!"

She drew, looked over at him, and smiled. "I will turn your servant against you, fiend. I play Tragic Child-Orphan Boy…and the spell card Endurance of Spirit. This allows me to level up the child until he is at the level he would be after the number of monsters on your side of the field is destroyed. As there are three, I now call upon Thief-King Bakura and his servant, Diabond, Level 10!"

Yami no Bakura blinked in surprise as the dead Thief-King appeared. "No…why is he helping you?"

"Like you said," she muttered as the attack appeared, "we have an understanding…with 3500 attack points, he can easily destroy you by just attacking one monster. Of course, that won't do. Did you know, though, this is the one that also tried to destroy Ra? He gained a new ability with Diabond…he can use the one-turn kill."

Bakura didn't have a chance to scream as the light rushed at him, taking away his life points and sending him sinking further into the mud. He started to struggle, then stopped as more panic fell across his features.

"Hell hath no fury," she said, walking up as the area began to freeze over, "This is the last ring of Hell, the place for traitors and great evils like you. Even with the Items being used in this world, there is no reason for them to be used for or against you. You are finished, Zorc, and will no longer bother me, or this boy, again."

With a sudden pull, the boy's body was pulled from the ice as the monster known as Zorc roared and disappeared.

She smiled, holding up Bakura as the spirit of the Thief looked at her before disappearing as well.

"I'd say that I hope you find peace, but I dislike you too much," she muttered, hefting up the boy. "Come along, you need to get some sleep and forget all that happened. No one will bother you again."

* * *

Part 11: Because the Night

Shortly before the fight had begun, the signal for lights out went through the ship, causing all those who had beds or were accommodated in some way to find their relative places to sleep, the few exceptions being the crew and Kaiba himself. Yugi had worried himself to sleep, while the rest had found room and, though worried about the fate of the others, had found some semblance of peace as they fell asleep.

* * *

_Jounouchi blinked as she started awake from the dream. It wasn't often that she wanted to wake up from such a dream, or at least the first part, but the end of it had been Kaiba falling, and Marik laughing as Kaiba, Yugi, and Mai was destroyed before her…_

"_It was just a dream, Katsuya," Jounouchi looked up and blinked at the figure in front of her._

"_Layla?"_

"_Hello," the dark-haired, yellowed-eye woman smiled at her, "I'm glad you've come so far. I have a request, though."_

"_What's up?"_

"_Julia gave you a card, right? I want you to put that card in your side-deck, and use this one instead." She handed over a card that Jounouchi frowned at. "Isn't this--."_

"_I would think you'd have found warriors the best, and had you been a male I would've given you the male counterpart for this one. But I figured this one would be a little more helpful."_

"_Layla…things are getting bad."_

"_I know."_

"_And I promised Yugi I'd Duel him to get back my Red-Eyes…"_

"_I understand…but if Kaiba Duels Marik first, he'll lose. For all his strategy and prowess as a Duelist, he's never fully faced a Shadow Game in Darkness, only one in the Light of Justice. Yugi and his other self are the only two which can defeat Marik without losing confidence."_

"_Then I have to face him? I know I can do this, Layla! I can get him to release Mai!"_

_Layla smiled at Jounouchi, ruffling her hair briefly, "You remind me of my younger self…do you really believe that defeating him will save Mai, or Yugi and Kaiba?"_

"_Yes. I _know _it will, and I'm not letting anyone who's important to me be hurt! I'd rather die first!"_

_Layla paused at that then asked, "Jounouchi…if Kaiba said he cared for you, would you believe him?"_

_Jounouchi blinked, looking out the window as Layla smiled. "Is it so hard to admit it?"  
"He'd never say it. He's not about to love someone like me…he doesn't care for anyone but his own self…maybe Mokuba, but that's his brother. Hell, he was going to let me _drown _earlier, he only dropped it in because he could. And anyway, it's not like he'd stop to save me again."_

"_Do you really believe that?"_

"_I _know it_, Layla. He's not going to love me. I'm just a stray dog to him."_

_Layla stood, touching Jounouchi's shoulder but not forcing her to look at her, instead seeing her reflection in the window outside and the tears going down her cheeks. "Some people would rather have a stray then a pure-breed."_

"_He'd rather have a pure-breed."_

_Layla's hand left her shoulder. "Then do what you must to protect him. Maybe he'll start noticing the stray he keeps kicking."

* * *

  
_

It had been the odd worry and fear that was part of his own dream, the various images of all his friends slowly being taken away, of more and more pain and suffering, that lead him almost unconsciously to touch the Puzzle before he blinked himself, or at least his spirit, awake. He was in his room, and despite the light and toys, he still felt ill-at-ease and slowly opened the door to the corridor between his room and his partner's room.

The way was empty, and unable to stay in his own room, when he felt the concern also coming from his other half's room, he took a deep breath and finally took his first step into his other's room.

He blinked as he entered the room, amazed as the size and depth of it. All around him, like some odd painting that showed a labyrinth both of size and dimension, defying the odds of logic but at the same time one that you couldn't realize the logic behind if you were traveling it.

A hand fell on his shoulder, causing Yugi to start as he heard his other's voice. "What's wrong? Did you sleepwalk into my room?"

"Hey! Don't scare me like that!" his other side smiled as an apology, making Yugi's heart flutter a little. If the two were here…what did Jounouchi say it would be?

--_Really just a complicated form of masturbation_—

Yugi looked off to one side, trying to think of something else when he heard his other side ask, "Aren't you surprised, to see that my room is a maze?"

Yugi looked back at him and, after a second, shook his head. "I kinda understand why it would be, though…I mean…you have no memories, so the maze is there because you don't know which path to take."

The spirit looked surprised at his pronouncement, as if he didn't realize he would figure that out but also looked a little wary before telling Yugi, "Another person came in here…once. He said within this area is my 'true Soul Room', and in there is my memories."

The shadow of a figure, the one who had been at the museum, caused Yugi to blink before muttering, as a question, "Shadi? He was here?"

"Yes…he came looking for my Soul Room…" a shadow of fear and anger passed over the spirit's face before he added, "However, it's a hard thing to do, and even _I _don't know where it is. Believe me, I've tried to find it. I think I saw someone here, and heard something earlier, like a scream of disbelief and anger, but I couldn't find the reason for that scream either."

Yugi was silent before saying, "We'll win. I'll help you, however I can, and we'll get your memories back!"

The spirit smiled at him, then said, "Shouldn't you get back to sleep?"

Yugi looked over at the spirit, blushing briefly before saying, "Um…I'm not really tired."

The spirit shifted before Yugi looked to one side, frowning as he saw the shadow of what appeared to be him and the spirit doing…doing…

Yugi looked back quickly and saw the spirit's blush appearing, saying he obviously had seen whatever it was that Yugi had seen, or remembered whatever it was that he'd seen, in the shadows before Yugi asked simply, "Mou hitori no boku…you…"

"I'm sorry."

Yugi didn't wait for him to disappear, to run away. Instead, he moved forward, grabbing one wrist and the back of his other's head and planting a kiss on him, his tongue finding a way into the surprised spirit's mouth as his body moved forward, the two stopping when a wall or the floor, Yugi couldn't be sure, met the spirit's back.

Yugi pulled away, his courage gone despite the quickness of his action, and he swallowed as he released the spirit's wrist, his other hand having left the back of the head to hold himself up.

"I…I'm…"

Arms pulled him close, and he now found himself against the wall or floor, the spirit's mouth on his and a hand moving it's way up his shirt, causing him to gasp as the spirit explored his mouth and moved against his body, his like clothing causing an odd type of friction against everything as it did.

"Aibou," the spirit whispered when he moved from his mouth, one hand going to remove Yugi's collar, "Are you sure? Do you really believe you can sleep, that we can be so prepared, after such a night?"

Yugi swallowed as a hand rubbed along his throat and the spirit nuzzled the newly-exposed skin.

"I…"

"We can stop, and do this after the tournament."

"But…what if we find all the information…to get your memories?"

"Do you believe my love for you will change if I remember who I am?"

Yugi didn't want to think of his fear, of the fear that should the spirit remember who he was and disappear, somehow leave and be gone forever because he had helped him remember…

"Aibou," the word caused him to shift, a whimper escaping as he realized what the shifting was doing to his already aroused self.

"I…I want to…mou hitori no boku…we don't know how much time we'll have after this."

He moved off a little, smiling down at Yugi before saying, "I know. But we'll have time for this. I promise you, aibou. We'll have more then enough time for this, for more then this."

"A little," Yugi muttered as he realized exactly how aroused he was, "tonight, please…please…"

The spirit smiled at him, their bodies pressed close together, close enough that he felt him, that he shuddered and jerked, finding himself unable to speak other then half-gasps and whimpers as his body took over and he let out a mild yell at the completion, the sudden lack of pressure that had been building up fell away.

"Are you okay, aibou?" came the spirit's breathless question.

"Y-yes…is there more?"

"Later. Go to sleep, aibou. We both need our rest to be ready for the battles tomorrow. I promise there will be more nights, and more then just this."

"Did you…"

"We share the same body, aibou."

Yugi blushed as the quote that Jounouchi had told her came to his mind, and he instead nodded before asking, "Can I just stay here and sleep? Please?"

"You're half asleep already," the spirit laughed briefly as Yugi's eyes closed and he slept a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kaiba had slept maybe all of an hour or two, his only reason for waking being that his dreams had taken a turn towards the dangerous, seeing Mokuba being killed by Gozaboru. Before that, he'd had an odd dream involving Jounouchi…and what else he didn't want to think about. He had woken up and found it necessary to change pants due to what he'd dreamed, the horror of the second half obviously having not done anything to help alleviate that problem.

Not wanting to sleep again, he'd attacked the problem of fighting the God Card Ra, looking at the script and translating it from what he could see as well as from what the computer could. He found that there was hardly a chance, and while half of the chances that he had in his deck were slim, it appeared to be the only chances he had at this point.

"Seto…" he paused to turn and look over at his little brother as he wandered in, "You're still awake? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm fine, I got some sleep earlier in the evening," he wrote off the dream and nightmare afterwards in such a way. Why he dreamed of Jounouchi in such a way he never fully understood. She was a crass, poor girl with nothing to offer as far as being anything but an annoyance. He honestly was more surprised she got this far, and was just as surprised when she showed off that she was capable of holding up some of her own at a duel.

Mokuba was silent for a long moment before saying, "We're on course for the island…the main area for our stepfather's military contracts and development…the only thing standing there now is your Duel Tower."

Kaiba was silent for a long moment before saying, "Mokuba, I _will _win at that Tower, and when I claim the title of Duel King, I'll be free of that curse he gave us!"

_And more importantly, I'll be free of Mutou Yugi and his friend, Jounouchi. I don't need that distraction anyway, and what can she really do? She's nothing more then a stray dog, and has no qualities that stand out. After this, I'll have no excuse to be near her anyway.

* * *

  
_

Layla looked over at the rather irate Yami no Marik before saying, "I don't know who took him or where he's hidden." She smirked he glared at her.

"You may be a new Dark, but I'm an even newer one. I'll destroy you before I'm done."

"I'd like to see that. Old Gods never went easily, and always left their impression on the newer ones." She began to fade in the shadows, "Shouldn't you worry more about the other two with God cards, instead of having such confidence in Ra? After all, he only serves you _now_. Keep it up, and one day the Sun God will destroy you."


	10. Reasons of Our Own

**About *here* is when things get complicated and go to hell, as well as deviate even more from the original. But seriously, if you start off with a character who's a punk, can't you just keep him as such and not turn him into a complete spazz and comic relief? All I ask.**

**It's apparently too much, thus you have femaleJou and the stories as they are. Enjoy!  
**

Part 12: Reasons of our Own

--_So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do—Benjamin Franklin_

Morning dawned on the ship, the sunlight streaming in through the windows as, over the video intercom, the two Kaiba brothers announced their arrival to the final Duel Arena, as well as announced the quick serving of a continental breakfast, as it was about ten minutes until arrival.

Jounouchi yawned as she woke up, glancing out at the large structure rising before them, like a futuristic rocket about to be launched. She stretched, getting into her clothing before looking quickly through her Deck. The dream she'd had with Layla made her wonder for a second at the warning before she moved the card Julia gave her into her side Deck and put the other one into her own Deck in it's place.

In his own room, Yugi blinked in surprise at the large tower coming out of the island before them, and happily touched the Millennium Puzzle he'd put on after the night. The memories of that night…Yugi blushed and a reassuring feeling from his other made him more confident, though at the same time a feeling of dread was building within him. Something would happen on the island…he didn't know what, but something bad.

"_Behold, the man-made island of Alcatraz! Named for the prison-island in San Francisco Bay, and home to the Duel Tower, rising up to the sky,_" Kaiba's voice narrated, "_and the perfect stage for our final Duels!"_

The group moved to grab a few items to eat before they landed, the whole area even more amazing and eerie then it was from the sky. Jounouchi smiled at Shizuka and Mazaki as they got off, Mazaki saying she had checked on Bakura and he was recovering but still wasn't strong enough to leave his room. Julia and she had moved him into Mai's room so he could help her watch over the older woman, and Isis was nowhere to be found since she'd left the group after telling them of her brother's awakened Dark side, as well as the part that Rishid had played in keeping it at bay. The appearance of Shadii, who Jounouchi barely remembered as the odd Egyptian that had threatened them nearly two years before, as well as the fact that he'd been running around not only when Pegasus was in Egypt but also long enough to appear and confuse Marik enough that he felt it was the Pharaoh's fault for his father's death was something that Jounouchi couldn't understand. Why test the soul of the Pharaoh in such a way? Why do any of those things? The owners of Millennium Items multiplied and moved towards Yugi because of it…why cause him such pain?

Jounouchi's musings on that was cut short by the arrival of the two Kaiba brothers, as well as Yugi's question about the ruins.

Kaiba was quiet for a second before explaining that they symbolized the ruins of his stepfather.

KaibaCorp, as built up by Gozaburo Kaiba, was a Defense Contractor and Alcatraz had been made as an industrial testing facility. Three years ago, Kaiba had created the basics for what was down their Duel Disk and, earlier, the dueling boxes. His stepfather had made a profit in it by using it as a military simulator and selling it to various countries. So after the senior Kaiba had been bought out, Kaiba himself had turned it into a gaming company and the ruins where they were was all that remained of his stepfather's legacy.

He sounded tragic, but Jounouchi couldn't easily forget Death-T or his attitude. The man was an arrogant jerk, even if he was good-looking, and while she felt for him in the sense that he'd been unable to stop his original design from being sold in such a way, that didn't stop the fact that for a while there, he was just as ruthless as his stepfather.

The story done and any emotions that Kaiba was going to show past, the group headed over to the Duel Tower and their final battles, Kaiba declaring _he'd _be the King of Duels after he beat Yugi. The other Yugi made his appearance, smirking at the declaration as Jounouchi glared at Kaiba's back. "You're forgetting about me, jerk! I have a chance to take you on!"

She'd grown as a Duelist, that much could've been said. She'd done what she could, and now she was able to hold her own against almost anyone. Her Deck was even a hard one to use, having so many gamble-based monsters…

"Oh please," Kaiba said with little thought, "You're just part of the scrap-heap here. I'm amazed you don't bury yourself in it…it'd make you a good home."

Jounouchi glared back at him but didn't reply, her face forward as they headed for the Tower, running into Marik along the way.

"'Duel Tower', eh? Tell me, Kaiba, have you decided the order of the final matches?" his voice seemed to unnerve everyone but Mokuba, who yelled that they'd see the results when they got in.

"But I already know the results," Marik purred like a tiger about to leap onto it's prey, "all of you will die."

Jounouchi's hands balled into fists, while Kaiba and Yugi sent their own glares to the madman before they continued on, Jounouchi thinking on her own dilemma. She'd promised Yugi she'd battle him sometime during Battle City, possibly around the finals. The truth, though, was that she _had _to Duel Marik. Not just for Mai, but also because some part of her knew that the image on the stone _had _to play out here and now. She didn't know a good amount about God cards but it was obvious that Ra was the strongest, meaning that both Osiris and Obelisk were needed to defeat it, or at least to stand up to it.

She only hoped Yugi would understand her decision.

* * *

They entered the room, learning that they would have to enter one of four doors to get to the top of the tower, the official stating that all the ways were the same anyway.

Yugi was silent in amazement as they rose up, the official stating that the game would be a four-way Duel between the finalists. Two would reach the top, and the other two would Duel after those two.

Below, Yugi heard one of the group that had followed them (either Honda or Otogi, he couldn't tell which), remark at the fairness of the game, as well as the fact that if a Duelist wanted to fight one person in particular, they could either focus on getting the person to the Tower first, or focus on keeping them alive and moving the others to the Tower first in order to Duel.

Yugi glanced at Jounouchi as they listened to the rules. She looked back at him, and he found himself stiffening. What was her plan?

* * *

Layla snorted at Kaiba's yell as he went to attack Jounouchi, Yugi's shield-monster stopping the attack this turn. "You forget yourself, Kaiba. There are dogs who can easily bring down lions, even on their own. All the need to do is last."

She glared at Yugi and his words though, even as Jounouchi's eyes narrowed as well. "And you've made a bad calculation as well, sebah. Some dogs will go out of their way to bite a pack-mate if they get a little too arrogant for their own good."

* * *

Kaiba smirked, somewhere inside annoyed by Yugi's move. He needed to get Jounouchi away and out of sight so he can get her out of his mind, and not have to think of the things he sometimes did and dreamed about…"I see how it is. Scum like you _needs _protection from Yugi, in order to Duel."

Jounouchi didn't bother looking at him, something that made him go on, angry that she wouldn't _look _at him at least. "It's fine that two friends want to Duel, but think about it. Do you really think you can make it to the Finals _on your own_? You don't have the skill to beat me, Yugi, _or _Marik! We all have the skill, and on top of that we all have God Cards! He knows his only chance to fight you is in the Semi-Finals." He added in the last part on sheer spite, "He also knows he'll easily beat you, that you'll be a good _warm up_ for the Finals." Oh, the glare Yugi was giving him! Good, maybe now they'd have their fight and get it past them, but just to be sure…"Shame on you, Yugi, to treat your _friend_ so horribly. If you're too easy on them, it just hurts them in the long run."

Oh, it was worth it to see Yugi yelling at him that Jounouchi was a TRUE Duelist, that she'd made it here on her own and--.

"Will, you, both, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY?" Jounouchi's voice rang through the Duel Tower, causing everyone to jump as she looked, but not at Kaiba. She looked at Yugi and said simply, "If you think I'm such a Duelist, then you'll stop treating me like a little kid. You'll give me the respect you say I need and you'll _act _like our Duel _matters_. Does Time really matter? If we fight here, then good…if not, we're still going to Duel. Now shut up and get back to the Duel, you two. I'm not a toy to be fought over."

She didn't bother to look at him. He decided she would face Marik and to hell with the consequences.

* * *

Yugi was, so far, the only one who wasn't attacked directly or lost any life-points. Jounouchi had attacked Kaiba, but had said it as if she was just attacking a random Duelist, looking in Kaiba's direction but not really looking, and also not taunting him as she usually did.

It worried Yugi as he drew his next card. Her earlier verbal confrontation with him hadn't even been directed at Kaiba, something that seemed to upset Kaiba only briefly before he continued. Jounouchi's lack of comments towards him seemed to anger him even more, and he took pleasure in taunting her even more when he shrunk her Gearfried the Iron Knight, allowing Marik to kill it and send her higher up into the Duel Tower.

Yugi took his turn, getting another shield monster before looking around and thinking of who he could attack.

Before he could say, Jounouchi spoke up, "If you don't take out me, you're more of an idiot then I thought."

Everyone turned with a start to Jounouchi before she clarified, "We're all enemies here. We're all fighting. I'm the most likely target, and you're obviously thinking of going after one of those two. I can think of a good amount of reason for you to not risk losing the strongest monster and maybe a Spell or Trap card on those two. I can take care of myself, and I'm not going to take it personally if you go after me. After all…this is a Duel. If you take it _this _easy on me in _our _Duel, I'm going to win hands-down, and feel very insulted."

_Do it_, his aibou's spirit said simply, _You shouldn't hesitate like this anyway. She's right…I don't know why she's doing this, but she's right._"

She barely flinched at the attack, summoning her monster The Legendary Fisherman and choosing to attack Kaiba!

He smirked as his trap activated, but Jounouchi didn't move. Marik looked in surprise as she smiled, holding up the last card she played.

"I took your Spell of Pain card," Jounouchi said simply, "I'll see you at the top, Marik."

With no other monsters or cards, it was easy to see who would fight the first battle of the semi-finals.

* * *

The two contestants that were in the semi-finals and scheduled to battle first reached the stop well before anyone else did, allowing both to get off and look around at the view given as well as to glare at each other. Marik said nothing as Jounouchi muttered, "So this is the Duel Arena…not much of a view."

"Maybe it'll look better when your desecrated corpse is all over the arena?" Marik replied, smirking at her.

"I'm sure you'd like that," Jounouchi replied without thought, as if she wasn't really listening to him. He considered putting the knife within his Millennium Rod into her back as she looked over at him with an odd light in her eyes. "I hope you're not thinking of chickening out by just back-stabbing me. That'd be just silly, now."

The others had arrived, stopping his own comments as he walked off while Jounouchi assured Shizuka that she'd be okay, teased Honda and Otogi mercilessly and didn't even speak as Yugi asked Kaiba about the Ra card.

"Jounouchi was only bait to see how Marik's Deck was," Kaiba stated simply. At that, Jounouchi now looked at him for the first time since entering the Duel Tower.

"You," she said simply, "are an ass. I don't owe you anything, not even my life."

With that said, she walked off to start the Duel between her and Marik.

_I owe you one, so don't go saving my life again until I repay you_

And now she didn't owe him anything. Fine…she was only there because he didn't want to wait on anyone _else _getting into the tournament. At least he knew that she would just lose.

The sky above them grew darker, Marik saying that he would use some of the same tactics as he used with Mai in _their _Shadow Game.

"Like I care," Jounouchi had said, "I'm not scared of the Shadows."

_**EVIL CLIFFHANGER!**_


	11. Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

_**My main reviewer, **_**JuniperPunch, _has been BEGGING for me to take her off that cliff. I must warn you...I only put you a few ledges down, you're still on the cliff for a few more chapters. Oh, and I'm not gonna be nice either. I think Yami no Marik wandered in and said that Kazuki Takahashi was too much of a prude for him before asking me to join in on the character torture. As at least one of my muses I have to keep in a 'Hannibal Lector' outfit, I couldn't refuse the offer to maim and torture._**

**_But that's later. Onward!_**

Part 13: Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

--_Abandon all hope, ye who enter here—_

"Before we continue," Marik stated after taunting her about Mai and the last Shadow Game they'd seen, "I want to tell you wait Penalty Game awaits the loser. You see, the loser will sink into the world of Darkness…both mind and body. If I had something to compare it to, I'd say it was like being burned by acid, while your flesh is being burned away. Slowly, without realizing it, you'll slip into Death and eternal pain." He smiled sadistically at her, "What do you think? Exciting, isn't it? I wish I was in your shoes, Jounouchi…oh, the things you'll FEEL!"

"Are you done?" she asked simply, looking more bored then scared at the pronouncement of her fate.

"I place one card face down, then end my turn."

Jounouchi paused suddenly, looking at the cord that went from her chest to her monster as Marik explained that this would be like the Duel with Mai, where she would share her monster's pain.

She looked at the area as she drew her new card, glaring at him before playing Rocket Warrior, frowning at Marik played his Trap card and feeling some fear as she realized it was the same one that had caused Mai so much pain…

And then she felt it. The Viser Des had locked onto Panther Warrior, and she fell to her knees as the unexpected pain, her teeth closing down hard on each other to stop the yell of pain that threatened to escape, instead turning it into a hiss of pain before she drew in a breath and stood, earning a surprised look from Marik.

"Marik," she said in a strong voice, "_never _tell a punk to cut you. They'll take out a pound of flesh instead!"

She sent Rocket Warrior at the beast, and only after it was dead did she realize the minor mistake but put it past her. One mistake could also turn into a good part, and with her Deck she knew that misfortune could turn rather quickly if you didn't watch out.

She frowned when she saw the monster Marik summoned and the fact that he didn't attack. That meant it was either a trap or something else…probably wanted to get scared.

She drew Jinzo, and placed one more monster out in Defense, switching Rocket Warrior to the same mode, knowing she couldn't use Panther Warrior for a sacrifice due to Viser Des.

"But before we forget," Marik said, "Viser Des closes in a little more--."

That was enough of a warning for her to hold in the scream that would've been released, a hand going to her head as it happened. It seemed to rock through her whole body, causing everything to scream in pain…but that didn't mean she would.

She did get annoyed when Jinzo disappeared from her hand.

She waited until Marik's turn was over, he once more not attacking before she smiled. "You've fallen for my trap," she told him simply, "Here, lemme show you my trump card."

With that, her face-down card, Question, appeared. She had to enjoy his perturbed and annoyed look as she guessed his monster on the top of his Graveyard, then at his attempts to think on what might be at the top of her own Graveyard.

"You have five seconds," she told him, calmly counting down before adding, "Since I guessed right, your monster isn't summoned…mine, though, is. So come out, Jinzo! And since he's able to destroy all the Trap cards you have…" She waited as those cards disappeared from the field and started her attack.

Jinzo was the only one who got in an attack, but that was enough for her anyway. She didn't get her hopes up, though. This guy had to have enough skills to use a God card, meaning he had to be as good or almost as good as Kaiba and Yugi.

"I was thinking of the punishment for this Shadow Game," Marik stated at this point, "and I've decided it's not _good _enough for you. I must make it _worse_."

Jounouchi ended her turn.

* * *

_The Gods don't smile on people like her_, Kaiba thought to Mokuba's question on if Jounouchi might actually win. His opinion of her hadn't changed at all, even as she got lucky. It was just pure luck, there was no skill to it. She had a mild amount of skill on using that card, but it was out of desperation and it just happened to work on her at that point. Right now she had lost the advantage with the Lava Golem on her side of the field, and while she'd gotten the Viser Des off her monster, that didn't mean she would win or even get another chance to turn the tables to her side. Especially as Marik had brought out his other two Viser Des and used them to stop her from having enough for a very high-level monster.

He frowned as she used her Graceful Dice to get rid of the Viser Des before sacrificing three of her monsters to bring out…a card that he didn't even know existed. He'd heard of it's counterpart, Gilford, but not so much of this one.

"Say hi to Fulgora the Lightning!" The woman was in armor, not the type that exposed her like some of the other monsters, and looked like she'd been taken from a combination of Joan of Arc and Athena, a large sword in her hands. They watched as the third Viser disappeared and she smiled at Marik. "Anytime she or Gilford appear on the field, all other monsters are destroyed. Now then, are you ready?"

She pointed to Marik and yelled her intention to attack before stiffening, seeing the face-down card too late to call off the attack.

But he was impressed all the same, but more then a little worried as Marik said, "It seems I've underestimated you, girl. Obviously, this Duel cannot end…until I've shown you God!"

Kaiba smiled a little at that, wondering if he _would_, indeed, do it or not. He had hoped for it, though with _Jounouchi _of all people going up against Marik he had almost resigned himself to not seeing the third power of Ra, but it appeared she would show it off anyway.

_What I read, the card Ra has three powers…first, "Ra shall take the power of three Sacrifices, but even if they are to Ra's liking, the God shall only answer to the One who speaks the Sacred Words." The second, "When the means of resurrection are granted to it, Ra shall spring forth from the Earth, and those who face it in War shall be incinerated by flames…", and the last… "In an instant, Ra shall become Flames, and it's enemies will return to the Earth…"_

Marik played Monster Reborn, and they watched as the large form of Ra turned into a bird of pure fire. For one turn, it could destroy any monster on the field, but with this power as well…with the way that the Duel was supposed to be going…

_Jounouchi is feeling the pain of her monsters, _he thought as the great bird of fire headed for the blond, her sister yelling from the sidelines and something in Kaiba's heart hurting for it.

_Fine…you've earned my respect…but I'll never tell you that anyway, dog.

* * *

  
_

**Aren't you supposed to Duel me?**

The man before her was the other Yugi, and oh it hurt, it hurt more then she could say, could think. Still, she blinked at the person who looked like the other Yugi or…

Who was he?

**Don't you know yourself?**

She drew a card on reflex, somehow knowing she had to complete this turn. It was a monster she could bring forth, but oh it hurt, everything burned, did she really want to hurt again, everything always hurt…

Unbidden memories and their ashes hit her on the face as she whispered the summoned monster's name. He was made of iron, he wouldn't be hurt.

A large wing of soft feathers covered her arm as she tried to finish the sentence in her head.

**Menw will take care of you, I know it. Though why she cares for you and not Seto—**

She winced at the name and the ashes and shreds of memory that brought up. Why was it so hard to breath? The ashes?

**I am sorry…**

"where," she managed as she felt herself falling, a small smile on her face despite it. Hadn't she won?

**The land between Death and Life…I am the Pharaoh who was once your 'other Yugi'. You are dead to that world, Jounouchi Katsuya.**

She tried to summon the strength to care, but the ashes were too warm, and the world outside of it too cold, and she simply sunk into them as the man held her head above them, like holding a drowning person above water.


	12. Even in Death

Part 14: Even in Death

--_Give me a reason to believe that you're gone…--_

In favor of following the non-breathing Jounouchi down to the ship, the cold outside had been left barren of people. Truthfully, Kaiba had left to see if Jounouchi would survive, some part of him not fully realizing exactly what had happened to her soul during the game. Mokuba, out of kindness and worry, had joined the group.

Layla sat on the sidelines as Marik walked back out. "Why aren't you worrying over that little dog?"

Layla looked over at him with her lion-yellow eyes before looking back at the spot where Jounouchi had been. "Do you know _why _she was allowed to fall over?"

Marik stiffened as she smiled at him. "Didn't you realize that? She fell over _because _we allowed it. I placed Fulgora in her Deck, just as I gave her one of my monsters to guard her wounded soul. It's broken now, but, if it helps, _you _didn't break it. She knows who was there for her. The one person she wanted to be there wasn't."

He glared at her for a second before saying, "But she _is _dead."

Layla suddenly laughed, standing up, darkness and deep shadows flowing around her as she said, "Foolish boy. I brought Death to countless others…what makes you think I can't forbid someone from entering it as well if it's not their time? Take my word: be it my other, Kaiba, or my sebah, Yugi, who fights you, you will _not _win, and all will be released from your evil."

* * *

Shizuka wanted nothing to do with this. Her sister…the one that was like an onee-san to her onee-san…Anzu-chan's boyfriend Bakura-san…and now…now…

"I'm sorry," the doctor said, "I see no brain-waves at all. There's just the faintest hint of a heartbeat, and we have to put her on artificial respiration." He shook his head as Honda-kun yelled for him to do something, Ootogi-kun holding the brown-haired boy back while Shizuka held Onee-chan's open hand.

It had been years since she'd seen her older sister, and now, after all that happened, she could only watch helplessly as she had fallen over, had died—

Yugi-kun walked over and put on Onee-chan's Duel Disk, saying that it might help her to fight. Shizuka shook back her tears. She hadn't been in a hospital for so long without realizing what some of the words meant when the doctor said them. Onee-chan was gone…

Shizuka's sadness turned into rage. It was all that Marik's fault! It was all that Kaiba's fault, for holding such a tournament, for allowing it to be so dangerous! And she knew her sister had cared for Kaiba, had admitted to liking him for all his arrogance and…and now…

Shizuka's tears spilled out in cascades as she bowed her head and wished for her sister to come back.

* * *

He had no way of making his aibou stop crying. He had began when she had fallen, when she had been so close to winning and simply collapsed, unresponsive. He'd seen a dark shadow of something pass into her, but he hadn't been able to tell what it was. It didn't belong to the Shadow Game…

His own shock and outrage overruled his grief as he placed Jounouchi's Duel Disk on her arm and headed outside, debating on if he should even _face _Kaiba or not. He had shown no remorse for Jounouchi's death, and on the whole that had angered him greatly, even more then when Kaiba had threatened Yugi's grandfather and tried to kill them all.

His aibou was crying, had his heart broken into small pieces, and while he debated only briefly on it, he realized there was no alternative. He had to go and beat Kaiba…then he had to beat Marik, destroy him utterly as he had destroyed Jounouchi—

_That is my only solace for this, my only way to overcome this hatred and sadness…_

Quite suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure reclining against the wall, and a very-familiar voice saying, "_Revenge is all well and good, but then what?_"

Both he and Yugi as one turned, but the corridor was empty, devoid of anyone that might even _look _like Jounouchi.

Something glowed in his pocket, and he slowly withdrew the Millennium Tauk. Yugi seemed confused, saying that Isis had mentioned it was losing it's powers.

_But it still has some power…and I want to see what it's going to show me._

_**Jounouchi stood before him, the Duel Disk active, a smile on her face. "I'd rather Duel you here then in any tournament! Our Battle City isn't over yet, Yugi!"**_

They both stiffened at the vision, and calmly, he put the Tauk back in Yugi's pocket.

_I'll trust that vision…Jounouchi _will _wake up, and we will face each other. I trust it, even more then I trust what I can see with my own eyes. Wait for me, Jounouchi! I must defeat Kaiba and Marik!

* * *

  
_

What was the point?

Julia glanced at Anzu before putting hand on her shoulder and asking her to watch over Mai and Bakura, who had "somehow" been moved into the same room. Julia had stated she'd done it, and now that Bakura was starting to stir and show signs of recovery, she left Anzu to care for the two. News of Jounouchi's Duel had already reached her, as had the consequences of her playing a Shadow Game.

Julia understood those. Back in Victorian days, her family had gotten involved with Shadow Games and Layla (1), but none had been lost into them. A few others had run into Layla and more then one had fallen to her version of the Shadows.

But this was different. Marik had claimed three people so far, and while Layla had dealt with that Zorc being last night, it hadn't changed the fact that this was getting dangerous and a little over her head. The next part…

Whatever the next part was, she wasn't sure she'd be able to join in on whatever this is.

* * *

Kaiba smirked as Yugi came up, amazed to a degree that he was there without anyone following him. Off on his own sidelines, Mokuba cheered him.

"You don't have your usual audience," Kaiba said softly as Yugi walked up, "The mutt's coffin must be heavy."

Kaiba saw Yugi's hands tighten into fists before saying, "I believe Jounouchi is still fighting."

The taller boy snorted at the words. "I read the latest medical report before you came here. She's not breathing on her own, and her heart stopped twice and is faint if not non-existent. There's not enough oxygen or blood going into that brain of hers, and it's more then likely she'll be dead by the time this Duel is over."

Yugi's glare turned poisonous. "Jounouchi asked me to not defend her, as she was there to do it herself and could show that she was the type of Duelist who could make it through Battle City on her own. However, that is not the case now…she is not here, she's fighting for her life, and if you say one more disrespectful thing about her again, so help me you will pay."

A dangerous flash of the Puzzle reminded Kaiba suddenly of the kind of terror that _could _be inflicted on a person. He'd experienced Yugi's anger and form of justice twice, apparently breaking the rule of those who could keep their minds after a Shadow Game, but after seeing what happened to both Mai and Jounouchi after one where violence was the main theme, Kaiba wondered if he could try his luck a third time.

"We're here to Duel," he finally muttered, "and to prove who's the best Duelist. I'm here to crush you, not talk about your pet bitch or what she's doing or not doing. Let's start."

The golden Wadjet eye flashed on Yugi's forehead for a second, almost coming full to life, before he glanced to one side, then it faded.

Kaiba let out the unconscious breath he'd been holding as Yugi said, "I'll crush that pride of yours again, Kaiba."

_**You know that muse I mentioned? She wanted you back on the cliff...**_

**(1)--Go read _The Eye of Re_ for more information there. SHAMELESS PLUG! Yes, it's my story, but it has more on Layla so you might understand her motivations a little more.  
**


	13. Battle of Evermore

**sorry, I got caught up making fanvids and trying to slap that muse in particular into doing some work...but she doesn't like writing duels. Especially established Duels (I mean really...)**

Part 15: Battle of Evermore

--_War is the common cry, pick up your swords and fly…--_

~_Who are you? She asked the spirit as she sat on the rock, surrounded by ashes and the remains of a fire._

_My name is…He paused, smiling. It doesn't matter. One remembers, and that is all that's needed for me. She and S-the other, found a way to revive me but it was closed off before they could try it._

_Oh, she replied, looking around at the ashes and markings on her. And this is the land of the dead?_

_The land between Life and Death. You were slipping into the river, and I got you out. It appears you're more damaged then I originally thought._

_She looked at him and then back down at the ashes. I am? I don't remember. I can't recall everything or anything really, and it's painful to do so, especially for a few. Are you sure I'm not supposed to be here?_

_Quite sure._

_Why are you here, then?_

_He frowned at the question, playing with a shadow item that she couldn't really see well. It was part of the bargain that I had, in order to defeat a great evil._

_She was looking at the ashes around her, dancing and scattering._

_What is it?_

_How do you know I'm not married to fire, and that I'm not just wood?~

* * *

  
_

The large hologram of the coliseum appeared around them, and while most of the fake figures were cheering his name, Kaiba was just happy to hear Mokuba's real voice cheering on from behind him. He wondered about the switch of positions for this Duel: He had the cheering group and Yugi had no one. Still, he wasn't about to think more on it when Yugi had already played his Queen's Knight and Kaiba had already drawn his God card. He only needed a few cards, and he'd win.

Of course it couldn't be _that _easy, could it? If it was, he wouldn't consider Yugi his great rival. Still, he had seen Osiris as many times during their battle to get through the Ghouls as Yugi had seen Obelisk, so both knew the God cards well.

The only problem was the Deck and strategy, as well as how he could use it against Yugi. He would hide behind monster walls all day if it suited him, the coward, but Kaiba had to admit it could be an impressive strategy.

Looking at his two Spell cards he decided to use, and ignoring the face-down card as a possible bluff, Kaiba pulled over Yugi's two monsters, and used Enemy Controller to get back his own before starting to sacrifice them…

Yugi's trap sprung, and Kaiba cursed himself for falling into it…but at the same time, he didn't need Obelisk _just yet_. He had another trump card in his Deck, and he'd be able to use it soon.

* * *

_~I don't think you'd be married to anyone._

_But are you _sure_?_

_Quite sure. Don't you remember what happened?_

_She frowned at the question and looked around then up at the 'sky' above them. I was fighting someone, trying to reach a friend…someone I thought of as a sister._

Is the mutt's coffin heavy?

_She stiffened at the voice, as if frozen in place by the simple voice as the man touched her shoulder. What's wrong?_

_She didn't answer, looking up as the voice continued. _I saw—she's as good as dead…

_She was shaking now, and suddenly slumped as if in defeat._

_What's wrong? The other spirit asked her again, touching her shoulder as he saw the ashes growing around her._

_That voice…I know it. I love him._

_The other spirit frowned and looked up as he then realized. He doesn't return the feelings?_

_I…I don't…he can't. Why should he? Why should anyone?~

* * *

  
_

Layla glanced at Marik as he came to look in on the Duel, just as she was, and then she looked over at the small patch of darkness nearby. "This isn't good. I'd have thought her soul would at least attach itself to them in some fashion, but I also didn't realize how damaged it became _because _of him." She glanced once more at Kaiba before sighing. "I have to allow it, then."

She closed her eyes, looking for her connection to the griffin that had taken to Jounouchi so much. _She's trapped too much. You have to take over._

There was a somewhat annoyed sound but Menw complied, leaving Layla as it slowly made it's way to be a clone of Jounouchi's soul.

Layla looked back at Kaiba and Yugi as Yugi used Exchange. That alone should trigger _something _from the girl's spirit, but it hardly did. If she was watching or even coherent, she was taking no notice of Yugi and her thoughts focused on her insecurities and love of Kaiba. Despite the fact that the whole (or mostly whole) version of her best friend was _sitting right next to her_, she seemed oblivious to it.

Layla briefly wondered if that was Ra's doing or her own. She had been playing and knew that she had, in a sense, lost, and thus lost her chance to save her friend. If she lost then she also lost the chance to use the God card against either Yugi or Kaiba. Whatever proof it was that she'd been trying to receive, it couldn't come from one card…

Wait.

The Red-Eyes, a part of her soul, was in Yugi's Deck. If he had a chance to summon it…maybe she'd start to recover.

* * *

The Duel wasn't going quite the way Kaiba planned. Yugi had gotten a hand up on him for destroying his larger wall monsters and gotten three monsters on the field first before summoning Osiris the Sky Dragon to the field. While Kaiba had been able to save his own sacrifices for the next turn, he wondered at Yugi's strategy when he put a card face-down on the field. Osiris' power was determined by cards…why lower it so suddenly?

Kaiba did wonder, but also didn't as he drew and, having regained Obelisk to his hand, sacrificed his XYZ-Dragon Cannon to summon it.

"Yugi," he said with confidence, "my God will destroy yours, and I shall be King of Duelists!"

Yugi blinked at the power of the Obelisk God, then smirked at Kaiba. "You forgot…Osiris' special ability. When anything appears, even a God, Osiris cuts it's attack down by 2000 points!"

Shit, he had forgotten that for a moment, and frowned as he realized the two were evenly matched. He didn't want to attack unless he _knew _he could defeat Osiris, and with that thought he played Life Shaver face-down before ending his turn.

Yugi drew his card, but didn't attack, instead ending his turn quickly as Obelisk's attack rose back up after the initial attack, and Kaiba had to smile. His Obelisk was stronger then Osiris, and he'd show that to Yugi!

With that, he attacked.

Pot of Greed activated, starting to destroy Obelisk. He activated Life Shaver and took the card away…causing the two Gods to be equal in power.

For a second they stopped, Obelisk's fist through Osiris' jaw, and cracks appearing on the god of stone, then something began to glow, expanding outward and engulfing all of their reality.

* * *

Layla smiled at the light she saw, both from the Rod and from the Gods. She wondered if Jounouchi could see it as well, but if she couldn't…well, Menw was using the light created by the gods to merge with Jounouchi, the power of the two Gods' wills creating the suitable environment to take over.

_Forgive me for such measures, Jounouchi, but you _have _to survive.

* * *

  
_

_~Do you see that? The man asked._

_What is it? The girl asked as she looked up at the bright light._

_Two people were battling with Gods, and the two Gods destroyed each other. Now they may see their past._

_Is that such a good thing?_

_For this battle, it might be.~

* * *

  
_

He was falling in darkness, screaming out in terror. Where was he? What had happened? Had the Gods given him a Shadow Game, like Yugi had threatened him with earlier? What was going on?

_A dark-haired woman with the eyes that looked like that of a lion or another large cat looked over at them as she spoke. "I don't like this. The darkness is rising, and the damned thief has caused us to lose too much ground."_

"_Do you really believe this is the best choice?" a tall man in robes asked another who was obviously Yugi in a long cloak, showing off the same if not a higher level then the man who was obviously Seto._

"_We may not have any other choice," the man who looked like Yugi stated, looking back at the woman. "How long can you hold him back?"_

"_As long as it takes," she stated with confidence, "I will do what I must to destroy him, or at least keep him at bay." She looked between the two, then gave them a warm smile. "Be careful. I want to see you both alive."_

The scene suddenly changed, and they were standing before one another, stone tablets behind them as they stood in the ruins of a palace. Somewhere down the way, they heard someone struggling to reach them.

"Your palace is destroyed," the one who looked like Seto said, "You are now a naked king."

There was no reply from the glaring man as the other continued, "I want only one thing, to defeat you with my own hands."

"Wake up," the other man, the one who looked like Yugi, said simply, "You are being controlled by the darkness, by the Dark Priest that betrayed us!"

"I don't care! I'll defeat you, and then I can defeat the Darkness as well! Prepare yourself!"

_Diaha!_

At their summons, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the Dark Magician appeared, and the two men hovering over the stage knew what this was.

_The scene from the stone tablet…_

A woman screamed out, "NO! Set…WAKE UP!" _You're breaking my heart…my sebah, my other, you're breaking my heart…

* * *

  
_

They were both shaking as the darkness and vision cleared. Yugi knew it was a vision of his past, and the fact that he'd been able to see such a thing when he had no idea as to his identity beyond being a Pharaoh without a name.

Now, a memory…two memories…the odd woman who went before them, who had come up and treated them like younger siblings, and then the fight, when before they had been friends…

The two stood, and as they both had their own thoughts on what they saw, one part was the same, the two understanding for a second what this was.

_We don't _need _the gods to battle anymore…this duel is fate. We've been waiting 3000 years for it!_


	14. Resurrection

Part 16: Resurrection

Layla had to laugh at Marik's look after the vision. While she hadn't seen it herself, she knew it was dealing with that fateful Duel, if the next two turns showed anything. Already, Kaiba had brought up his Blue Eyes while Yugi, the next turn, summoned the Dark Magician.

So all that was needed was for one of them to win, and to defeat Marik…and despite the fact that Kaiba was a good Duelist, she knew that person had to be Yugi. Kaiba couldn't withstand a third Shadow Game.

_You never did realize how much damage you can cause with that pride of yours.

* * *

  
_

~_They're gone._

_Yes…you can see them now?_

_I…yes. I don't know who they are, but they're important to me. One of them is holding something of mine…something that involves fire. Why must my life be full of fire?_

_Perhaps it is just how you are, the other man said, waiting for her to notice the similarities between him and the one holding a part of her soul. She looked back at him and he smiled._

_Y—you…_

_I am what remains of who he was. When I sacrificed myself to defeat the darkness and begin to seal away the Shadow Games, a part of me was left behind so that two paths could be drawn. In one, until he remembers my name, I and he are bound to the world of Life, though we cannot be a full part of it. In the other, should another speak my name and be offered as a sacrifice as well, to cross this river, then he can gain a body by the remains they leave behind. However, as long as some of the darker parts of the Shadow Games remain, there is no way for that to happen._

_Like…like the one I fought?_

_Yes._

_What can I do to help?_

_I don't know…but I would like you to fight. You need to return to the land of the living. That is where you belong, even if you're hurt._

_The ashes seemed to settle, fixing upon her but still ready to scatter in a second. I'll do what I can…but I need a way up._

_I'm sure you'll get it.~

* * *

  
_

Without his memories, how could he go forward? As much as Kaiba wanted to destroy it, Yugi couldn't allow it. For that to happen, he would lose himself, lose the chance to find his way through the confusion in his mind.

But faced with the Blue Eyes White Dragons…he couldn't do—

_Don't give up_

He stiffened as for a second, he saw a smiling Jounouchi out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she was covered in ash, but still smiled at him and seemed happy to see him there.

"Jounouchi!"

_Haven't you always told me that you always have hope as long as you have cards in your hand?_

With that, he looked down and saw it, amazed he missed it.

_A True Duelist doesn't give up._

The Red-Eyes appeared on the field.

* * *

Blue-Eyes glared at the enemy dragon, the one who was attempting to get at it's Master…but…what was so familiar about it?

"_Are you thirsty?" The young woman had hair that was dark but still a different color then the others, and her skin was also pale as well._

"_Thank you," she said, accepting it._

"_Jerks. I was able to sneak some out. Is this enough to get you to the next village?" the girl asked._

"_I…I think so. Why are you helping me?"_

"_You're like me," the girl said with a smile to the pale-skinned, blue-eyed girl, "you're different, and you have a dragon in you too."_

The Lord of D. was destroyed by Magic Cylinder as she attacked the Red-Eyes and then was bound. The other began to gather fire in it's mouth.

"_I'm always trapped by fire," the other girl said, "but one day I'll escape that fate. Just like you'll escape this one."_

"_I don't know about that."_

"_I know you will. After all, why would the Gods be that cruel to anyone?"

* * *

  
_

"Jounouchi!" "Onee-chan!"

She blinked at the light and tried to remember everything.

Nope, too painful, she settled for what she knew. Yugi, her friend, was in a Duel against Kaiba, the man she—

Nope, that was too painful. Yugi was fighting Kaiba. They weren't there to give him support. She'd had a really odd dream that she knew was reality, but before that…

She couldn't remember beyond Mai was still hurting 'cause of Marik, and that she'd Dueled Marik.

"Damn it, you scared me!" "I thought I'd lost you..." "The hell were you thinking scaring us all like that?"

Honda was crying. That was kinda funny in some ways, but she wasn't sure what was going on really and frowned at the various electrodes on her, going under her skirt and around her stomach and chest, as well as a few on her forehead.

"What are these?" she muttered, taking them off as the doctor looked over and blinked in surprise at her recovery.

"I'm fine," she told him simply before asking, "What's going on? Where's Yugi?"

"He's Dueling Kaiba," Julia said, looking for the world like she was about to faint.

"WHAT? Why haven't _one _of you gone up there to cheer him on?"

"YOU WERE DYING, YOU MORON!" Mazaki yelled at her as she and Julia volunteered to stay up until Bakura showed off that he was at least awake, then Julia said she'd stay behind as the rest headed out to cheer on Yugi and see his victory.

* * *

It was a sad sight that stood before him. He had never realized how harsh Kaiba's childhood and past had been until he heard that, but he also realized that Kaiba felt the only way to bring an end to such things was more hatred.

_Do you learn nothing from the past you are so blessed with having?_

He didn't understand, in some ways, how much the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle envied those with pasts, violent or dark as they may be. His own was not only hidden from everyone including himself, but one that would tell him the mysteries of the Millennium Items and the reason for his own imprisonment. That his aibou and others offered to give him memories, had given him new ones, was all well and good…

But that wasn't who he was, or had been.

And hatred, he was quite sure, could not destroy the past. Hatred upon hatred would only serve as a tower of Babel, and cause you to fall all over again.

So he would strike Kaiba down, as a friend, and hopefully with it he'd destroy Kaiba's hatred.

* * *

It was doubtful, but he could try, even with the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon on the field. He had the means to do it, and he would. Kaiba needed to realize how much one never gained by forgetting what was behind you.

He activated the four Spell cards, one to gain Dark Paladin, the next to try and up his might against Kaiba's Dragons (that didn't work out so well) but the two, De-Fusion and Diffusion Wave Motion, were what he needed.

The three Blue Eyes disappeared, and with that, Yugi hoped, would go some of Kaiba's hatred.

Kaiba didn't want to hear the 'friendship' speech. He tossed the God card at Yugi, demanding he didn't lose even though he knew that was a high order, and heard cheering from the sides and he and Mokuba started to head out, frowning as he heard Jounouchi's voice and Yugi's happy one.

"What took you so long?"

"I'm not sure myself, but I'm glad you're alright," she told him.

Mokuba looked excited and surprised as well. "Jounouchi was alive?"

Kaiba glared at the side of the door as he left, not wanting to look at her or deal with the conflicted emotions within him over her. "The mutt should've stayed dead."

Neither noticed the slight flinch that went through Jounouchi at his words, but then again, neither did any of her friends.

* * *

She didn't understand the woman's motivation, but Isis realized that if what she said of the other darkness was true, then the pain her brother had to bear was now something they would never have to worry about again. As well, it was luckily something that would only help him guide the Pharaoh to the lion-eyed woman.

But it was true…Kaiba had to help Yugi.

So Isis waited as he came up before telling him that Marik's evil was at it's highest, then asking if Yugi could win.

"No," he said simply, "The probability of it is…extremely low. _That's _how powerful the Ra card is." He only paused a second before adding, "But it's also none of my concern anymore. Battle City is over. Win or lose, in two hours I'll set off explosives and sink this manmade island into the ocean. I'm not a murderer…I'll leave them the Battle Ship to escape on."

She paused before adding, "Kaiba…Yugi _needs _your help."

Kaiba glared at her. "Oh? Is that what your 'Millennium Item' tells you? Come on, Mokuba!"

"Leaving so quickly?" the voice of Layla stated, the woman herself appearing before Kaiba as he stopped short.

"Who are you? How'd you get here?"

"I came along with the others," she told him, leaning against the railing and glancing at Mokuba momentarily before looking back up at Kaiba. "Do you know the Pert Kertu…the Prayer for the Dead?"

He stopped, looking at her as he tried to figure out who she was while Layla continued, "The text on the stone slab is inscribed the Prayer to the Dead, the way for a soul to reach the Realm of Death, and it is signed by the Pharaoh's most trusted friend."

"So?"

"The trusted friend," Layla told him with a glare that told him he was being incredibly dense, "was the High Priest who fought him, the owner of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."


	15. Battle without Honor or Humanity

Part 17: Battle without Honor or Humanity

Kaiba was getting sick of this, and yelled at the woman, "What do I care of this? I don't want to hear another word about the Pharaoh!"

Isis spoke up, saying something about the spirit of battle, about the Duel Tower being a Sanctuary—

"Then I'll sink this so-called sanctuary into the ocean!" Kaiba roared, having had enough.

"You'd best ask your brother first," the woman said, looking up at him and smirking as Mokuba shifted away from both her and Kaiba before he exploded, asking for him to stop being the person he was after their stepfather.

He turned away, looking down as the two women and even Mokuba was silent.

_Will I be able to let go of my hatred…even if I sink this Tower?_

"Their fight's about to start," Layla muttered, looking up as the group turned before saying, "You said the chances of Yugi winning are extremely low. I take it you have a card that could raise that chance?"

Kaiba looked at her and nodded, glaring before saying, "But even so, it'll only be up to maybe 20%." He glanced at Isis. "I take it this is a friend you brought along when you decided to save your brother from the Darkness. And if Yugi loses to him? What then?"

Isis looked down and muttered, "Simple. I don't need to leave the island."

Layla said nothing to stop her, instead standing as Kaiba blinked, remembering the lengths he would have—had almost said he would—go through to save Mokuba on Pegasus' Island.

He looked back at her, as she shrugged. "It's neither my place nor yours to stop people from dying in your own tournament, Kaiba. If you wish to save Yugi, to ensure that your high demand is met, I'd leave now."

Kaiba turned heel and headed up, saying behind him, "This should be an interesting Duel anyway…the odds are one in five!"

* * *

Marik glared over at the group as he walked towards his part of the Duel Arena, looking over with annoyance at Jounouchi. "So, _you're _still alive? You are made of strong stuff…"

Jounouchi glared at him, her hands turning into fists to try and avoid shaking before she said to Yugi, "I wasn't able to save Mai, and I'm pretty sure you realize he won't make this easy on you. Do what you can. You have to defeat his evil."

"I know."

Right before he got up to the stage, though, Kaiba and Mokuba appeared, Kaiba tossing Yugi a card before saying, "Take this card!" Yugi looked it over then back at Kaiba in mild confusion.

"You can take it or not. It could easily be a trap or your salvation."

Yugi gave a smile, placing the card into his Deck. "I'll trust your card, Kaiba."

After they shuffled their Decks, the Duel began, and Marik smiled as Jounouchi cast Kaiba a suspicious and confused look. She obviously was unsure as to how much Kaiba knew about Ra's abilities, or about the card he gave to Yugi. Still, she had to believe that it was the key to defeating Ra…after all, if not, than Marik would try to kill off everyone else, including Kaiba and Mokuba.

As the Duel started, the dark clouds of a Shadow Game grew around top and engulfed them.

* * *

She tried to not consider why she could see the Shadow Game, but the fact that others gasped at the sight of Mai in the triangular hour-glass, being eaten by Shadows, showed that at least she wasn't the only one to see it.

Then something quite dangerous, something that showed this to be not like the other Shadow Games happened, something that caused them to all freeze in horror.

Yugi, the other one who normally only appeared for schoolwork or outside of the one Duel, was hung up besides the spirit, looking around confused.

"Aibou!" the spirit yelled, panicked upon seeing the trapped figure of his other half.

"My turn!" the dark side of Marik yelled, summoning Vampiric Leech and using it to attack Yami no Yugi, who let out a yell of pain as the Leech hit him.

"You feel the pain, but also as you lose life-points, your lighter half loses something as well." Marik chuckles at Yugi let out a panicked and pain-filled cry. Part of his leg, from his knee down to his calf, faded away and caused him to shake as Yami no Yugi looked up at him, worry written all over his face.

"I-I'm fine!" Yugi managed out as Marik motioned behind him.

"You don't get all the fun, of course. This one is _my _sacrifice."

With just as sudden an appearance, the other Marik appeared beside his darker half, though he was unconscious.

"We feel the pain, and our sacrifices are destroyed as we lose our Life Points. When this Game is over, whoever has lost will lose their sacrifice, and their body shall also be eaten by the Shadows! Both will die an agonizing death!"

Yami no Yugi froze, unable to think past the implication that was brought before him. If he lost, his aibou would die, and then…then if he defeated the darkness within Marik, Marik too would die?

"Other me," he turned as his aibou's voice gained some strength back to it, despite having lost his knee and the obvious pain it caused him. "If you have to fight this battle to find what's important to you, then I'll help you! You have to defeat the evil inside of Marik!"

Yami no Yugi looked over at his aibou as he realized his thinking. Aibou had been chosen to bear the burden of the Millennium Puzzle, and as such he would do what he could to help him regain his memory, including fighting in these dangerous Shadow Games.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Yami no Yugi drew and began his attack.

* * *

Layla watched the fight from her own shadows, happy to see that Kaiba was at least there instead of leaving as he was about to before. She smiled at the resilience of her sebah's vessel, and while she had already realized how far he would go for a friend, she realized this extended to the spirit of her sebah as well.

She frowned as Osiris and Ra appeared to do battle, knowing that in the hierarchy of gods the Phoenix would always destroy Osiris when fighting, and then looked back at Jounouchi when she saw her flinch a little.

Her soul was still healing, and it worried Layla to see her this close to the God Cards when one had done so much damage already. While she knew that Menw would do her best to take care of Jounouchi's soul, it also wasn't going to help that most of the healing wouldn't start up until her other opened up to his feelings, or until she found one that might return hers.

_She's too much like me,_ Layla thought as Ra attacked, her sebah withstanding this attack while his other side seemed determined to hold in the scream that obviously wanted to break through.

* * *

_This is what Jounouchi felt…_his world turned dark for a second before he heard his other side asking him if he was okay. He opened one eye then the other and nodded, finding his voice to mutter, "I'm okay," before looking back at the firebird that was returned to the graveyard. They had lost Osiris, and now were down to one God. Unless they pulled out Kaiba's card, all hope was lost. On the next turn, Marik would kill them.

_But he needs his memories.

* * *

  
_

She knew when he pulled the right cards, got the right combination, and also knew that it would not be the God cards which let him win. As she had told the monster in the shadows in her last duel, the new gods, the ones who were loyal and gained a place in the heavens, were always stronger then the gods.

_The Dark Magician_ _and his apprentice_, she smiled at the incarnation of Mana appeared and as Rishid, who had been awoken she was sure by the spirit of the good Marik, walked up to speak to his master, _they will always prevail for their Pharaoh and for my sebah._

The Black Burning engulfed the phoenix and nearly all of the evil within Marik, leaving him only the small part he had to fight himself and choose his fate.

Layla disappeared from the island as Marik placed his hand over the life points, ending the game and the reign of his dark half.

_Now, to deal with the stone slab and others, then to set my own path to his destiny.

* * *

  
_

"Battle City is officially over!" Kaiba yelled after Marik handed over Ra as well as the Millennium Rod. Everyone had flinched upon seeing the scaring on Marik's back, but whatever it was the feeling was gone and now all he wanted was to get them off the island, blow it up, and leave. "Yugi, I'll let you be Duel King…for now! As for the Alcatraz Tower, it's outlived it's usefulness and in an hour will be blown up!"  
"WHAT?!?"

Okay, that had been worth it.

"You all have until then to get onboard the KaibaCorp Blimp and leave. That is all."

Jounouchi, despite her uncharacteristic silence since earlier, finally yelled out as Kaiba and Mokuba were leaving, "There's a limit to being a sore loser, you ass!"

Oh, definitely worth it. He had lost, true. He hadn't broken his—

No, that wasn't entirely true, he realized as he and Mokuba headed down to enter the password. He had thought that anger would help him, but so far it hadn't. The anger at those who hurt others, the anger at those who would endanger Mokuba…or even Jounouchi, that had given him more strength then his anger at his stepfather ever had.

Maybe Yugi was right, then.

So he had lost, but at one point he would win. He would go to America and start up a KaibaWorld there. He would return when school began again (why couldn't he just take a placement test and be done with it?) and then he would deal with everything else as it came up.

And maybe while he was in America, he could cure himself of the mutt.

**One more chapter, and then onto a complete AU on the Millennium World arc!**


	16. Nobody's Home

Part 18: Nobody's Home

--_She wants to go home, but nobody's home, and that's where she lies, broken inside--_

If Anzu was sure of one thing, it was that most of her Duel friends, or those who Duel them, were completely melodramatic and drama queens.

Point one:

"DAMN IT, MAI, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"That wasn't very funny," Julia muttered to Mai as she giggled.

"I couldn't help it."

"_Both of you nearly died, it wasn't funny and I don't care if you couldn't help it!_"

"I can't believe you encouraged it, Bakura!"

"Um…sorry?"

"SORRY?"

"Um…Yugi, since you happen to have--."

"I WAS TALKING TO YOU, DAMN IT!"

Oddly enough, Bakura handed over his Millennium Ring, stating he had no idea why he still kept the thing and something told him that Yugi would need it.

Point two:

"Where the hell is he?"

Anzu was now quite sure that Julia Fogg would not be able to handle the workings of any Duel Monsters tournament, especially not one where any evil beings or world threats were being held over their heads.

"We've searched the whole ship," Yugi (now once more in charge) stated with a look of worry around the area. "I don't know what could have happened to him or Mokuba."

"Just like the two…" Honda muttered, "I mean, the last time he was gonna lose to Yugi he threatened to jump off a tower."  
"WHAT?"

Yeah, Julia would never really fit in with this group. Anzu had learned that until they were officially _dead_, there was no point in panicking too much. Still, most of them were up on the Duel Arena as they took off, watching the Duel Tower fall over and the island sink when…

"Over there!" Jounouchi yelled, pointing to a spot that she probably had just looked at randomly when they all saw it.

Kaiba and Mokuba rose out of the aftermath in a custom fighter jet, the group frowning at him as Julia began to yell out English insults at him, and from the sound of it a rather long and involved string of them before ending with "_I'm never doing this again!_"

Mai and Jounouchi patted her shoulders as Kaiba and Mokuba disappeared off towards America, everyone else just happy that it was over and that they could go home.

* * *

Jounouchi stood before him, the Duel Disk active, a smile on her face. "I'd rather Duel you here then in any tournament! Our Battle City isn't over yet, Yugi!"

He nodded, activating his own disk and wondering why his aibou had insisted it be him and not—

Jounouchi smiled as they both drew, he allowing her the first turn before realizing fully what it was. He was the Duel King, not Yugi. It wouldn't be until Yugi won on his own that he could gain that title.

_But all of my skills are you own._

He didn't answer, and the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle turned back to the Duel between himself and Jounouchi, wondering how this would turn out.

* * *

_Slap!_

She had expected it, though Shizuka obviously hadn't, if the yelp said anything.

"Where the hell did you take her? I've been worried sick!"

"Mom, it's not like--."

"You, get inside! I won't have you seen with this-this-"

Mai put a hand on her shoulder, glaring at the woman. "Your daughter nearly lost her life and was able to make it to the semi-finals of Battle City! Because of her, your other daughter has the courage to see again, and is a stronger person! You could at least acknowledge her."

"mai," she started, but her mother cut it off.

"She's nothing but a loser, like her father! I wouldn't have accepted that money of hers had it not been for Shizuka and because I was given reassurance it wasn't from drugs or Yakuza, which I'm still not sure if it isn't!"

_Slap!_

This time, it was Mai's hand that caused the ring, and her mother's cheek that burned.

"Bitch, I'm amazed you even dare call yourself a mother!"

Shizuka appeared again, this time with a grouping of luggage.

"Shizuka!" both Jounouchi and her mother's voices shared their distress as Shizuka stood besides Jounouchi.

"I'm going, and I don't care what you say, Mom, I'm not letting you treat onee-san like that! Mai is right, you should treat her with respect!"

With her mouth hanging open, Mai, Jounouchi and Shizuka left the area.

* * *

The apartment was empty again.

Varon rubbed his neck as he smiled at Mai, flirting outrageously with the blond lady as she returned the favor, frowning when they walked in, a notice stating the reason for the emptiness.

"Onee-san…" Shizuka muttered.

"You'd be better off with Mai, or mom."

Mai put a hand on Shizuka's shoulder before saying, "Do you want to be alone?"

"Yes."

The apartment was dark and crowded when it was empty, though.

* * *

"I don't get it," Varon stated as he walked with Layla and Mai. "If her soul is so damaged, what _can _fix it?"

"Love, as cliché as it sounds," Layla stated, "When her soul was damaged, she had just been insulted by the person she secretly cared for, and he has given no indication of returning the love. While a part of her soul is devoted to the Pharaoh's spirit and to helping him in whatever will allow him to stay with Yugi, most of her damaged soul is due to being rejected yet again, and also due to Kaiba not acknowledging her skills as a Duelist."

"So what can we do?" Mai asked.

"I'd rather not get Shizuka involved in this, but it appears we have no choice in the matter, now that she's run away and refuses to let her sister out of her sight. We also have to deal with the people who approached you earlier, Varon."

"That Paradis group? What about them?"

"It's a rather long story, and involves some supernatural elements. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"If it'll help Jounouchi," he said, "I'll believe in fairies!"

Layla smiled at that. "I'm glad she has such friends."

* * *

He sat with his knees to his chest, his whole body shaking and the Puzzle nowhere near him, so his other side couldn't hear his thoughts.

It wasn't fair! How could he lose him so quickly? It was true that after that night, the night before the Duel against Kaiba and then Marik, the spirit had said there would be others, but there hadn't been. The spirit had been preoccupied, thinking on what he'd seen, on how long the exhibit would be at Domino Museum before moving, on when he could go and find his lost memories.

But with those memories, he'd leave.

Yugi hugged his knees tighter, his worry and the ache in his chest growing. Jounouchi was acting oddly, as if some part of her had been destroyed when Ra killed her, and he wondered why no one else saw it. Everyone was drifting away, and soon they would abandon him…

_Jounouchi never would_.

Anzu and Bakura had scored higher and were being moved up in the class. Otogi was trying (and failing) to teach Honda anything about games, and as a result there was some strain on their relationship. Marik, Isis and Rishid had left for Egypt, Julia joining them to 'get away from all the weirdness'.

And the spirit…the Pharaoh, was going to leave him, abandon him—

_Jounouchi still won't abandon me…_

But something was wrong with her. What was wrong? He had to help her! He had to figure out a way to keep the spirit, and to help her! But how…Mai had said she'd deal with Jounouchi, and he was sure she was helping her but…

_I'll talk to him,_ Yugi decided, _I'll ask him to stay for the summer. At the beginning of the school year, we'll go back and restore his memories._

With a swallow and a breath to give himself courage, Yugi touched the Puzzle a little before he felt the spirit's presence.

_Aibou,_ he said, _you realize I live in you, not just the Puzzle?_

Yugi looked down as he turned towards the spirit before he heard, _I'm worried about Jounouchi too, and something about it seems familiar to me. I want to regain my memories so I can find out. But…if you feel that it will divide us, then I can wait. I will wait._ A phantom kiss on his lips. _I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you_.

"I…I know. But…but I don't want things to change."

_It is the nature of everything to change. I wish it wasn't, but it is. We cannot stay the same forever, aibou. We'll do what we must to at least grow with the change._

Yugi lay down, touching the Puzzle as he did and feeling himself pulled into his own Soul Room, the spirit waiting in there, surprising Yugi. He had always traveled into the spirit's Soul Room, or part of it, not vice-versa…

The spirit smiled at him. "Remember, sometimes change is a good thing?"

Yugi nodded as the spirit walked forward, his clothing seeming to disappear as he did while Yugi blinked at it. How did he do that?

A light kiss was placed on his lips, a hand going to the small of his back. "I'm learning more about my powers and myself. I will see what we can learn in a summer, aibou."

"Mou hitori no boku," he whispered, his body arching as he found himself on the cleared floor and with the spirit licking and sucking at his neck, one hand used to hold most of the spirit's weight while another trailed along his chest, the feather-light touch setting his nerves on fire while the kisses descended.

"I promise not to hurt you, aibou, and I will do what I can to stay."

That was all the promise that Yugi needed right now.

* * *

The three stood before the frozen dragons and looked over at Layla. "Are you sure about this?" Shizuka asked.

"With Menw inside of her, Jounouchi can't take on the role of a Dragon-Knight," Layla pointed out, "So you have to take her place."

"But she's coming with us," Mai said as Shizuka paused again, "Because with Menw, she's much stronger then before. Plus she won back her Red-Eyes."

"That fortifies her soul," Layla told Shizuka, then said softly, "We _need _to defeat him. If we do, we'll be able to change the destiny of those three without having to wrestle with it so much."

Shizuka swallowed, looked down at the Dragon, and with a firm nod, grabbed the handle as the other two did as well, pulling the swords from their resting places.

* * *

Jounouchi looked out at Domino. Tomorrow, they were supposed to return to school…

"Ready?" Layla asked.

Domino had nothing for her but Yugi. Yugi's fate, tied to the Puzzle, would hurt him, so much so that he might break as the Puzzle did.

She would never allow that.

"Ready," she said as they headed off to start a fight with Destiny.

**Thus Battle City arc ends, and soon shall start the last part, my AU of the Millennium World Arc! For those who read/saw the show...I'm not doing the 'game' thing like Bakura did. I'm going to try and stick with that version of the story, but with my new characters and changes, I'm probably gonna end up with a slightly different way for them to remember things, as well as a very different ending for the story in general.**

**Now all I have to do is write it...**

**Special thanks to JuniperPunch, who gave me fanart and support (good luck and remember that High School is just preparation for the clics you get in the outside world...in other words they don't count and are just silly) and everyone else who favorited my story, sent me compliments, and anything else. THANK YOU, and hopefully you'll enjoy the next piece I have coming up.  
**


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